Getting into a drafting session and staying there is partly about willpower, but it's also just about what's on screen. Focus Mode strips away everything that isn't your text, and a couple of related settings make it comfortable to stay in for a long stretch.
What You'll Need
- A document open and ready to write.
Step-by-Step
- Enter Focus Mode from the icon rail before you start writing, not partway through. The Binder, Inspector, toolbar, and icon rail all disappear at once.
- Adjust the column width to what's comfortable, by dragging its edge. A narrower column often reads more like a page; a wider one shows more text at a glance. There's no fixed right answer, and it's independent of your normal (non-Focus-Mode) editor width.
- Turn on typewriter scrolling in Settings → Editor if you want your cursor to stay at a steady spot on screen as you type, instead of drifting toward the bottom of the window. It engages once you click into the text, not immediately on opening the document.
- Write. There's no autosave indicator or toolbar competing for attention, just the page.
- Exit deliberately when you're done, with the × button in the corner. Your Binder and Inspector come back exactly as you left them, so you're not stuck reconfiguring your normal layout afterward.
Common Mistakes
- Looking for a keyboard shortcut to enter or exit. There isn't one on any platform, including Escape to exit. It's the icon button in and the × button out.
- Expecting typewriter scrolling to work automatically. It's a separate setting you turn on once in Settings → Editor, not something Focus Mode enables on its own, and it only takes effect once you've clicked into the text.
- Trying to use typewriter scrolling with a split editor open. It only works with a single pane. If you've got more than one document pane open, the cursor-centering effect won't apply until you're back down to one.
- Assuming Focus Mode dims or fades anything. It only hides surrounding panels and narrows the column. Every word of your actual text stays exactly as visible as normal.
FAQ
Can I keep a split editor or Continuous View open while in Focus Mode?
Yes, Focus Mode just hides the Binder, Inspector, toolbar, and icon rail around whatever you already have open; it doesn't change how many panes or which view mode you're using.
Why doesn't typewriter scrolling work when I have two documents open side by side?
It's built for a single editor pane only; with more than one pane open, the setting has no effect until you're back to one.
If I resize the Focus Mode column, does that change my regular editor width too?
No, they're two completely independent width settings, in Settings → Editor.