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Focus mode hides the top toolbar and other UI chrome so the canvas fills your screen. When you need a control — to save, switch modes, or change a setting — you move the pointer and the toolbar reappears. Move away and it fades out again after a short idle period.

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Enabling and disabling focus mode

Focus mode is available in Write mode only. The layout toggle button is in the top toolbar.
1

Enable focus mode

In Write mode, click the layout toggle button (the icon that looks like overlapping panels) in the top toolbar. The toolbar fades out and the canvas expands.
2

Reveal the toolbar

Move your pointer anywhere on the screen. The toolbar appears immediately and stays visible while you interact with it.
3

Disable focus mode

With the toolbar visible, click the layout toggle button again. The toolbar stays permanently visible and focus mode turns off.
Your focus mode preference is saved locally. If you close the tab and return, Dear reopens in the same state.
Focus mode only activates in Write mode. Switching to Outline keeps the toolbar visible regardless of your focus mode setting.

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How it behaves

  • The toolbar hides 800 ms after your pointer stops moving, provided no modal or overlay is open.
  • If you open the doc width field while in focus mode, the toolbar stays visible until you close it.
  • The toolbar is always visible when a dialog (such as formatting shortcuts or account settings) is open.

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When to use focus mode

Focus mode is useful when you are in a long drafting session and want the interface to recede. It does not change how the editor works — Tab completions, markdown formatting, and all other Write features remain active.