ScreenFocus review
A focused open-source utility for pointer-based keyboard focus across Mac displays.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
ScreenFocus is a native macOS menu-bar utility for people who work across multiple displays and want keyboard focus to follow the pointer. When the pointer crosses to another display, it highlights that display and moves focus to the window beneath the pointer without requiring a click. The utility is aimed at solo users and small teams with a focused multi-monitor workflow rather than broad window-layout needs.
Its standout feature is pointer-based focus movement, supported by safeguards for common multi-display situations. ScreenFocus protects the previous text field when no suitable destination window is available and preserves topmost window stacking when destination windows overlap. It can also pause automatically when only one display is connected, handle display reconnection and rearrangement, launch at login, and use either a configurable border or corner markers for display highlighting.
ScreenFocus is distributed as an open-source project with prebuilt releases and runs on macOS 14 or later. Focus transfer requires macOS Accessibility permission, and the official build is locally signed rather than Apple-notarized. Support is available through community resources and documentation. The product stays narrow: it addresses focus movement, display awareness, and reconnection rather than offering layouts, workspaces, or snapping. Choose it if pointer-based focus across displays is the specific problem to solve; choose a broader window manager if arranging windows or managing workspaces is equally important.
ScreenFocus pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Moves keyboard focus across displays without requiring a click
- Highlights the destination display with customizable overlays
- Preserves text fields and topmost window stacking
- Where it doesn't
- Requires macOS 14 or later
- Needs Accessibility permission for focus transfer
- Does not provide layouts, workspaces, or window snapping
ScreenFocus fact sheet, pricing and score →
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