A focus blocker can be awkward when the app you want out of reach is also where your friends are talking. Discord is a good example: you may want to stop browsing its channels while staying in a voice call.
I'm the developer of Quietwhile, a native macOS focus app built with Swift, SwiftUI, and AppKit. Its Guard Screen addresses that situation by hiding a selected app behind a full-screen "Not now." overlay while leaving the app running.
Guarding an interface while the app keeps running
Quietwhile offers three behaviors, configurable globally or per app:
- Guard Screen: hide the app and show the focus overlay. A Discord call can continue in the background.
- Hide Only: hide the app without the overlay.
- Quit App: quit the selected app.
The choice matters because quitting an app can also end something you wanted to keep, such as a call. Guard Screen lets the focus block restrict access to the interface while the app remains active.
Website guarding through macOS Automation
Quietwhile guards websites without a browser extension. While a supported browser is frontmost, it asks for the current tab's address about once a second through Apple Events. If the address matches a guarded website, the tab is redirected to Quietwhile's "Not now" page.
That approach has a permission and compatibility cost. Each browser needs authorization under macOS Privacy & Security > Automation. Supported browsers include Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, and Chromium. Firefox cannot be covered through this mechanism.
Quietwhile reads the tab address for matching; it doesn't read page contents or browsing history.
Focus blocks and breaks
The app lives in the menu bar and runs focus and break blocks, with custom durations and optional schedules. Scheduled blocks require Quietwhile to be open. Breaks suggest activities such as stretching, drinking water, or resting your eyes.
Quietwhile runs locally and doesn't require an account. The update check goes online. It needs macOS 14 or later and is free during the early build; the future paid model is still undecided.
I'd welcome feedback on this interaction, particularly from people who work or study on calls. Does hiding an app while keeping it running fit how you focus?
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