Auto-Focus

Automatically enable Do Not Disturb mode when you're in deep work.

Auto-Focus periodically checks what application is in the front and enables Do Not Disturb mode after 12 minutes of focused work in your chosen applications. When you switch to non-work apps, it gives you a buffer period before re-enabling notifications.

How Does It Work?

Auto-Focus runs as a menu bar app that monitors which application is currently active. When you're using one of your designated focus applications (like VSCode, Xcode, or any other app you choose), it starts a timer. Once you've been focused for 12 minutes (configurable), it automatically enables Do Not Disturb mode.

To prevent losing focus during quick context switches (like checking documentation), Auto-Focus includes a configurable buffer period. This means your focus session won't end immediately when you switch apps - you have a grace period to switch back to your work.

Getting Started

1. Download the latest version of Auto-Focus from the releases page
2. Install the required Shortcut:
   • Open the Shortcuts folder in the downloaded DMG and install the Shortcut
   • or later through Settings of the app iteself
3. Launch Auto-Focus and configure your focus applications
4. Enjoy your uninterrupted work sessions! 🚀

Features

• Automatic Focus Detection: Detects when you're in deep work and enables focus mode automatically
• Smart Buffer: Configurable buffer time prevents losing focus during quick switches
• Focus Insights: Track your focus sessions and productivity patterns
• Browser Integration: Chrome extension for tracking focus URLs (GitHub, Linear, Figma, etc.)
• Menu Bar Interface: Quick access to your focus status and settings
• Multiple Apps Support: Choose which applications should trigger focus mode
• Configurable Thresholds: Customize how long before focus mode activates
• Data Export: Export focus session data (Premium feature)

Future Plans

Export/Import of Data

• Maybe use the cloud, maybe not

Auto-Focus+

• Hide some features behind a paywall

More Integrations

• Slack Integration: Set Slack status automatically and manage notifications
• Calendar Integration: Respect your meeting schedule and adjust focus mode accordingly
• Browser Extension: Detect protective websites
• More Focus Providers: Support for other focus/DND implementations beyond macOS Focus

Enhanced Detection

• Activity Detection: Smarter detection of actual work vs. idle time
• Context Awareness: Better understanding of work contexts and patterns
• Custom Rules: Allow users to create their own rules for when to enable/disable focus mode

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🚀 Release Guide

This section is for the developer (future me) to remember how to create new releases.

Prerequisites

1. Code Signing Setup: Ensure you have Developer ID certificates in Keychain
2. Notarization Setup: Configure notarytool credentials

   xcrun notarytool store-credentials "Developer" --apple-id "[email protected]" --team-id "LKQJ2JG34Y"

3. GitHub CLI: Install and authenticate

   brew install gh
   gh auth login

Complete Release Workflow

The entire release process is automated with a single command:

# ⚠️  One-command release (does everything!)
make manual-release

This command will:

1. ✅ Build and archive the app
2. ✅ Prepare app for notarization
3. ✅ Create notarization ZIP
4. ⚠️ PAUSE - You must manually notarize (see output)
5. ✅ Package extension and generate version metadata
6. ✅ Update website download links
7. ✅ Stage files in git
8. ✅ Create git tag with date-based version (e.g., v2025.06.15)
9. ✅ Create GitHub release with assets
10. ✅ Provide final push instructions

Manual Step-by-Step (if needed)

If you prefer to control each step:

# 1. Prepare app for notarization
make prepare-app-for-notarization

# 2. Notarize (follow the output instructions)
xcrun notarytool submit 'build/auto-focus_notarization.zip' --keychain-profile 'Developer' --wait
xcrun stapler staple 'build/auto-focus_temp.app'

# 3. Package and deploy
make package-app
make deploy-downloads

# 4. Create git tag and GitHub release
make create-github-release

# 5. Push to deploy
git push origin main

Notarization Process

When you see "⚠️ IMPORTANT: Ensure the app is notarized", run:

# Submit for notarization (this takes 1-5 minutes)
xcrun notarytool submit 'build/auto-focus_notarization.zip' --keychain-profile 'Developer' --wait

# If successful, staple the notarization ticket
xcrun stapler staple 'build/auto-focus_temp.app'

Version Strategy

• Date-based versions: 2025.06.15 (year.month.day)
• Git tags: v2025.06.15
• Single version tracking: Only latest version in git, older versions in GitHub releases
• Backward compatibility: App handles version management internally

Distribution Strategy

• Primary: Direct downloads from https://auto-focus.app/downloads/
• Backup: GitHub releases for version history
• Formats: ZIP (primary), DMG (optional with make create-dmg)

Troubleshooting

Notarization fails: Check logs with:

xcrun notarytool log <submission-id> --keychain-profile 'Developer'

GitHub CLI issues: Re-authenticate:

gh auth login --scopes repo

Build issues: Clean and retry:

make clean
make manual-release

Release Checklist

• Code is committed and pushed to main
• Tests pass locally (make test)
• App builds and runs correctly
• Browser extension works (if changed)
• Run make manual-release
• Follow notarization instructions
• Verify website updates at auto-focus.app
• Test download links work
• Push final changes: git push origin main

Post-Release

After release:

• Verify auto-focus.app serves new files
• Check GitHub release page
• Test download and installation
• Update any documentation if needed

Remember: The manual-release command does most of the work. Just follow the notarization steps when prompted! 🎉