Activation
Enter Focus Mode using the keyboard shortcut or command palette:- Keyboard Shortcut
- Command Palette
Press
Cmd+Shift+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Windows/Linux) to toggle Focus Mode on and off.Focus Mode requires an open note. If no note is selected, the shortcut has no effect.
What Happens in Focus Mode
When Focus Mode activates:Toolbar Disappears
The formatting toolbar and title bar buttons fade out after a 500ms delay with a 1000ms transition
Visual Behavior
Focus Mode uses carefully choreographed CSS transitions:Exiting Focus Mode
Return to the full interface:Keyboard Shortcut
Press
Cmd+Shift+Enter (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Windows/Linux) againEscape Key
Press
Esc when not actively editing (cursor outside the editor)Command Palette
Open
Cmd+P / Ctrl+P and select “Exit Focus Mode”Sidebar Restored
Exiting Focus Mode always restores the sidebar
When you exit Focus Mode, the sidebar automatically becomes visible again, even if it was hidden before entering Focus Mode.
Implementation Details
Focus Mode is controlled by a singlefocusMode state variable in App.tsx:
Interaction with Other Modes
Source Mode
Focus Mode works seamlessly with Markdown Source Mode:- The format bar hides in both Focus Mode and Source Mode
- You can enter Focus Mode while in Source Mode and vice versa
- The toolbar remains hidden until you exit both modes
Sidebar Toggle
Focus Mode overrides manual sidebar visibility:- Entering Focus Mode hides the sidebar regardless of its previous state
- Exiting Focus Mode always shows the sidebar
- The sidebar toggle (
Cmd+\) is disabled while in Focus Mode
Use Cases
Long-Form Writing
Write articles, essays, or documentation without distractions
Drafting
Focus on getting ideas down without fiddling with formatting
Editing
Review and revise content with a clean, minimal interface
Presenting
Display notes in meetings without showing the full UI