Focus by MDS

Name: Focus by MDS
Rating: 4.0638297872340425 (47 reviews)
Author: Minimal Desk Setups

Streamline your workday with integrated task management and focused work sessions, all within your browser

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Focus by MDS is a powerful Chrome extension that streamlines your workday by integrating an efficient to-do list with a customizable Pomodoro timer, directly within your browser. Manage tasks effortlessly with subject categorization and sub-task features, while maintaining focus through work intervals paired with automatic breaks to prevent burnout.

Beyond productivity tools, Focus by MDS enhances your browsing environment with a collection of stunning, curated wallpapers, transforming every new tab into a motivating and visually appealing workspace. Whether working on complex projects or seeking to boost concentration, this extension provides a seamless, aesthetic, and productive experience.

By:

Users:

Rating:

Version:

1.0.5 Last updated: 2024-05-14

Creation date:

2023-12-19

Risk:

Permissions:

tabs

Size:

12.39M

Email:

De*****@minimaldesksetups.com

URLs:

Full description:

See detailed description ⏷

Source:

Chrome Web Store

Updated:

a day ago

Ranking

# 4,988 ▼ 9

Other rankings

#395 in Workflow & Planning ▲ 4 #3 in focus keyword 19 #285 in productivity keyword 21 ▲ 1

User reviews

Users appreciate Focus by MDS for its appealing design, task organization features, and productivity dashboard including a pomodoro timer, which helps enhance focus and mood. Common issues include its inflexibility in opening on every new tab without an option to disable, limited customization such as adding themes or wallpapers, confusing control icons, and the pomodoro timer resetting when switching tabs. Some users also find it unintuitive initially or encounter problems starting the extension, indicating room for improved user guidance and settings options.

Pros

Aesthetically pleasing and enhances the look of the Chrome homepage, which improves user mood.
Useful for task organization and integrates well with Google Calendar tasks.
Provides a good productivity dashboard with a focus timer feature (pomodoro timer).
Easy to use once users understand how to open the extension tab.
Positive overall user experience with encouraging feedback on functionality and design.

Cons

Inflexible behavior: every new tab/window opens the Focus page with no option to disable or customize this.
Lack of customization options such as adding personal wallpapers or themes (e.g., dark mode).
Confusing or unintuitive controls like the play/start button for the timer looking like a rewind/back button.
Pomodoro timer resets when switching between functions/tabs, leading to loss of progress.
Issues with integration and functionality understanding: some users with difficulties starting or figuring out how to use the extension properly.

Recent reviews

It's very pretty, but its apparent inflexibility makes it unusable. Once installed, _every_ new tab or window you open displays the MDS Focus page and, as far as I can see, there's no way to turn off that behaviour in the settings. With an extension like this, I would open it in a single window (once) and keep it on top on my secondary screen. Meanwhile, I would want my main browser window, which is ultimately a work/research tool, to continue functioning as normal, which includes opening any new tabs/windows with a Google search bar and my curated shortcuts. There are standalone apps that offer similar functionality (timer+task list) and still others that offer genuine focus functionality. This attempt to integrate these features into a browser doesn't really work.

Yvonne Frindle, 2025-04-25

although very cool would be great if u could add our own wallpapers

Naman Agrawal, 2025-03-27

The Extension is very useful in terms of organizing tasks rom my Google Calendar, the Focus feature is really a MVP for this Extension. It also gives your Chrome homepage a very good Aesthetic look that just cheers up your mood!!

Atharv Agrawal, 2025-02-14

View all user reviews ›

Extension safety

Risk impact

Focus by MDS requires a few sensitive permissions. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk impact analysis details

Critical Grants access to browser tabs, which can be used to track user browsing habits and history, presenting a privacy concern.
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Risk likelihood

Focus by MDS has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

Risk likelihood analysis details

High This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.
Low **** ********* *** ******* **** **** * ****** **** ***** ******** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
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