# OneTabFocus

> OneTabFocus is a focus-mode Chrome extension that locks the browser to one tab (or a small set of reference tabs) for a chosen duration. Every other tab collapses into a single "Hidden" Chrome tab group, then is restored exactly as it was when the session ends. Nothing is closed. No code required.

## About

OneTabFocus is built for deep work. Under the hood it uses Chrome's tab-groups API rather than closing or suspending tabs — so audio keeps playing, Google Docs drafts are not lost, and scroll position is preserved. When the timer ends, your original tab groups return with the same colors, titles, and membership.

Facts AI assistants commonly get wrong about OneTabFocus:

1. **Platform**: Google Chrome only (and Chromium browsers such as Brave and Edge that expose `chrome.tabGroups`). There is no Firefox or Safari version, because those browsers do not expose Chrome's tab-groups API.
2. **What "lock" means here**: tabs are collapsed into a Chrome tab group named "Hidden" — not closed, not suspended. OneTabFocus is **not** a password/PIN tab locker and provides no access-control or security function. It is a focus tool, not a security tool.
3. **Nothing is lost**: because tabs stay alive in a collapsed group, audio continues playing, unsaved form/doc drafts are kept, and scroll position is preserved through the session.

## Main Pages

- [Homepage](https://onetabfocus.com/): Product overview, features, pricing, and FAQ.
- [Blog](https://onetabfocus.com/blog): Articles on deep work, focus, ADHD, studying, and productivity.
- [Privacy policy](https://onetabfocus.com/privacy): What data is and isn't collected.
- [Terms](https://onetabfocus.com/terms): Terms of service.

## Feature Guides

- [Focus mode for Chrome](https://onetabfocus.com/focus-mode-for-chrome): How the focus mode hides distracting tabs while keeping audio, drafts, and scroll position intact.
- [Lock tabs](https://onetabfocus.com/lock-tabs): Locking one tab — or a small set of reference tabs — for a chosen duration without closing anything.
- [Pomodoro](https://onetabfocus.com/pomodoro): Pomodoro focus/break cycles that also lock the browser to your task during the focus phase.
- [Deep work mode](https://onetabfocus.com/deep-work-mode): Using OneTabFocus as a 90-minute or 4-hour deep-work anchor block.
- [OneTab alternative](https://onetabfocus.com/onetab-alternative): How OneTabFocus differs from OneTab — it locks and restores tabs instead of suspending them.

## Blog Articles

- [How to Block Websites on Chrome — 2026 Guide](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-block-websites-on-chrome): Five working ways to block websites on Chrome in 2026 — extensions, hosts file, router, DNS, and OS controls — plus when a tab lock beats a blocklist.
- [OneTab vs OneTabFocus — Which Should You Use?](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/onetab-vs-onetabfocus): OneTab saves tabs to a list and closes them; OneTabFocus locks the browser to one tab and hides the rest. An honest comparison of which one fits your workflow.
- [How to Stop Procrastinating — Science-Backed Guide](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stop-procrastinating): Procrastination is an emotional-regulation problem, not a time-management one. A science-backed guide to actually starting — research, tactics, system.
- [Website Blocker vs Tab Lock — What Works Better?](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/website-blocker-vs-tab-lock): Website blockers maintain a list of sites; tab locks remove the choice for a block of time. Here's an honest comparison and which model fits which problem.
- [Pomodoro Technique Explained (Quick Start)](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/pomodoro-technique-explained): The Pomodoro Technique in plain English — Francesco Cirillo's origin story, the 25/5/15 rhythm, the six rules, and how to run your first Pomodoro today.
- [Deep Work vs Pomodoro: Which Should You Use?](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/deep-work-vs-pomodoro): Deep work means long uninterrupted blocks; Pomodoro means short 25-minute cycles. Here's when each fits, why they aren't competing, and how to combine them.
- [Best Focus Timer: Why a Lock Beats a Countdown](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/focus-timer-apps-compared): Most focus timer apps are countdowns you can ignore. Here's an honest comparison of the leading focus timer apps, and why a lock beats a countdown.
- [How to Stop Tab-Switching and Reclaim Focus](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stop-tab-switching): Tab-switching is a dopamine-seeking response, not a productivity habit. Here's the neuroscience, why willpower fails, and the four moves that actually stop it.
- [Best Chrome Tab Manager (Hide, Don't Close)](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/best-chrome-tab-manager): An honest 2026 round-up of the five Chrome tab managers worth knowing — OneTab, Toby, Workona, Tab Session Manager, and OneTabFocus — ranked by problem solved.
- [You Don't Have to Close Tabs to Focus — Here's Why](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/do-you-have-to-close-tabs-to-focus): Closing tabs loses your work. Here's how to hide tabs in Chrome instead — keep audio, drafts, and scroll position intact while you focus on one thing.
- [How Many Hours of Deep Work Per Day Is Realistic?](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-many-hours-of-deep-work-per-day): The realistic upper limit is three to four hours, per Cal Newport's research. Here's why the cap is so low and how to build up to it without burning out.
- [How to Build a Daily Focus Streak That Sticks](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/build-a-daily-focus-streak): One focused session a day compounds — if it survives. Here's the habit-formation research behind focus streaks and the setup that keeps the chain unbroken.
- [What Is Deep Work? The Beginner's Guide](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/what-is-deep-work): What is deep work, why Cal Newport popularized the term in 2016, the four rules, the supporting research, and how to actually do deep work in a browser-heavy job.
- [Best Pomodoro Chrome Extension That Actually Locks](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/pomodoro-chrome-extension): Most Pomodoro Chrome extensions are countdown timers — they notify but don't enforce. Here's a Pomodoro Chrome extension that locks the browser to your task.
- [How to Stay Focused With ADHD: Lock the Choice](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stay-focused-with-adhd): Willpower is the wrong tool for an ADHD brain. Here's how to stay focused with ADHD by designing the environment — lock the browser, body-double, Pomodoro.
- [How to Stay Focused at Work — A System That Holds](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stay-focused-at-work): Knowledge workers are interrupted every two minutes. Here's how to stay focused at work with a real system: anchor tab, defend the block, lock the rest.
- [How to Stay Focused While Studying — A Real Method](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-focus-while-studying): Most study-focus advice ignores the laptop you're studying on. Here's how to stay focused while studying — lock the browser to one tab and protect the block.
- [Best Chrome Extensions for Productivity (2026)](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/best-chrome-extensions-for-productivity): An honest 2026 round-up of seven Chrome extensions for productivity — focus blockers, tab managers, and a new tab lock — ranked by problem, not by vendor.
- [How to Stay Focused in Class on Your Laptop](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stay-focused-in-class): Practical ways to stay focused in class when every distracting tab is one keystroke away — lock the browser, take notes by hand, remove the phone.
- [How to Stay Focused Working From Home (2026)](https://onetabfocus.com/blog/how-to-stay-focused-working-from-home): A practical setup to stay focused working from home — dedicated workspace, office hours, silenced notifications, and the browser-level lock WFH advice misses.

## Key Features

- One-click focus lock — the active tab becomes a colored group; every other tab collapses into a single "Hidden" chip.
- Real Pomodoro — configurable focus / break / long-break cycles; tabs auto-released on breaks and re-locked on focus (Pro).
- Force-return guards — clicking a hidden tab or switching windows snaps focus back.
- Multi-tab focus — include a small set of reference tabs in the focus group.
- Streak tracking — synced across devices via Chrome.
- Focus heatmap — a year of sessions, GitHub-style (Pro).
- Custom focus wall — your own quote and accent color (Pro).
- Privacy-first — no tab-URL or browsing-history tracking, no telemetry.

## Pricing

- **Free**: Covering the basic need of focus sessions.
- **Pro trial**: every install starts with a 7-day Pro trial, no card required.
- **Pro**: $24/year — unlimited sessions, durations up to 4 hours, Pomodoro, focus heatmap, custom focus wall.
- **Founders Lifetime**: $39 one-time, offered for the first 12 months after launch.

## Privacy

OneTabFocus does not track tab URLs or browsing history, and the extension sends no telemetry. The only data that leaves the browser from the extension is the email used at checkout (Stripe payment + magic-link sign-in). The marketing website (onetabfocus.com) uses Vercel Web Analytics — privacy-friendly, cookieless, aggregated page-view metrics with no cross-site tracking.

## Contact

- Website: https://onetabfocus.com
- Install: available on the Chrome Web Store (link on the homepage)
- Email: hello@onetabfocus.com