Focus Mode is built to be used without a mouse. Press / at any point to open the actions menu — a quick reference for everything available without leaving the screen.

The core loop

The five shortcuts you will use dozens of times every day: Tab to enter Focus Mode, Enter to complete a task, S to add a subtask, + to extend the session, B to take a break. These cover about 90 percent of what you do in Focus Mode. Learn these first.

The / actions menu

Press / to open the menu. Press Escape to close it without taking any action. Use the menu while you are learning shortcuts — once they are in muscle memory you will rarely open it.

• Complete task (Enter) — marks the task done and moves to the next scheduled task

• Complete and cut to now (Cmd+Enter) — marks done and trims the block to the exact current time

• Add subtask (S) — opens an inline input field below the task title

• Extend session (+) — adds 15 minutes to the current block and updates Google Calendar immediately

• Shorten session (-) — removes 15 minutes from the current block

• Auto-Extend (Cmd+A) — toggle on to extend automatically in 15-minute increments instead of stopping at block end

• Pause — pauses the timer and returns you to the Calendar view. Press Tab to resume.

• Take a break (B) — opens a duration picker, adds a break block to your calendar, and resumes Focus Mode when it ends

• Edit task (E) — opens the task title and fields for editing without leaving Focus Mode

• Delete task (Backspace) — permanently removes the task

Managing time without breaking focus

Press + to add time, - to shorten, Cmd+Enter to complete and cut to the current time. Aftertone updates Google Calendar automatically for each — no manual adjustment needed.

Working through subtasks

Press S to add a subtask, Enter to save it, Escape to close the input. Once subtasks are visible, use the Up and Down arrow keys to move between them. Press Space to check off the selected subtask. When all subtasks are checked, the parent task completes automatically.

Editing without leaving Focus Mode

Press E to edit the task title and fields. Press Backspace to delete the task if it is no longer needed.

Getting back after an interruption

Press Escape to leave Focus Mode and handle something urgent. Press Tab from the Calendar view to go back in. Aftertone returns you to the task you were on, or the next scheduled task if the previous block has passed.

👉 Try it now — Enter Focus Mode with Tab and complete an entire session without touching the mouse. Use Tab, Enter, S, +, and -.