How to enter and exit Focus Mode in Windows Terminal

This guide will show you some handy ways to enter and exit Focus Mode in Windows Terminal.

1. Using Windows Terminal Settings

Entering Focus Mode in Windows Terminal is easy. all you need to do is make a few adjustments to the settings. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Windows Terminal.

2. Once you are in the Terminal window, click the drop-down menu next to the new tab.

3. Select Settings from the menu and you will be taken to the Startup tab.

4. Go to Launch mode and click the drop-down menu, then choose Focus from the list.

5. Next, click the Save button to apply the changes.

After saving the changes, Windows Terminal will automatically enter Focus Mode and hide the tabs and title bar every time you launch it.

2. Using Run

You can also enter Focus Mode in Windows Terminal using Run. This is a great way to quickly switch between modes without adjusting settings. Proceed as follows:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run command window.
2. In the Run dialog box , type wt.exe /focus and press Enter.

This will open Windows Terminal with Focus Mode enabled. To turn off Focus Mode, press Ctrl + Shift + P on your keyboard. Then search for Toggle focus mode and click on it.

3. Using the Command Palette

If you prefer using commands, you can enter Focus Mode in Windows Terminal via the Command Palette. Here's how to do it:

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal from the Power User menu.

2. In the Terminal window, press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the Command Palette.

3. Type "Focus Mode" in the text box and select Toggle focus mode from the list of options.

4. Then Windows Terminal will enter Focus Mode and hide all unnecessary information from the window.

If you need to access the tabs and title bar, you can press the same shortcut again. It will switch back to normal mode.

4. Create a Shortcut

You should create a shortcut to enter Focus Mode in Windows Terminal, as it makes switching between modes much faster and easier. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Windows Terminal and press Ctrl + Comma to open the Settings window.

2. Select the Actions tab in the left pane, then click the Add new button .

3. Next, scroll down and select Toggle focus mode from the list of options.

4. Now assign your preferred keyboard shortcut (eg Ctrl + Alt + F ) to the Toggle focus mode command.

5. Finally, click Save to apply the changes and close the Settings window.

After creating the shortcut, you can press the shortcut to switch between Focus Mode and normal mode in Windows Terminal.

5. Using Windows File Explorer

If you're using File Explorer to manage files, you can also enter Focus Mode in Windows Terminal from there. Here's how to do it:

1. Press Win + E on your keyboard to open File Explorer.
2. In the address bar, type the following command and press Enter .

wt.exe /focus

This will open Windows Terminal in Focus Mode, with all tabs and title bars hidden. To switch back to normal mode, press Ctrl + Shift + P and select Toggle focus mode from the Command Palette.

It's easy to switch to Focus Mode in Windows Terminal. This tutorial showed you 5 different methods to quickly turn Focus Mode on and off in Windows Terminal. Try it out and see how it boosts your productivity!

Isabella Humphrey

Update 22 April 2023