Focus by MDS

Name: Focus by MDS
Rating: 4.1020408163265305 (49 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.

Extension

By:

Users:

Rating:

Version:

1.0.5 Last updated: 2024-05-14

Creation date:

2023-12-19

Risk:

Permissions:

tabs

Size:

11.82MB

Email:

De*****@minimaldesksetups.com

URLs:

Full description:

Source:

Chrome Web Store

Updated:

17 hours ago

Ranking

# 5,532 ▼ 1,136

Other rankings

#387 in Workflow & Planning ▼ 9 #4 in focus keyword 16 ▼ 1 #273 in break keyword 12

User reviews

Users love Focus by MDS for its attractive design and helpful productivity tools like task management and a Pomodoro timer. Many appreciate its aesthetic improvements to the Chrome homepage. However, consistent issues include inflexibility with new tabs always showing the extension page, lack of wallpaper customization, confusing timer controls, and unexpected timer resets. Some users struggle initially with usability and have privacy concerns over new permissions. Many suggest improvements like better wallpaper options, task integration, and interface fixes to enhance the experience.

Pros

Aesthetically pleasing design that improves the look of the Chrome homepage
Useful productivity features such as task organization and a Pomodoro timer
Integration with Google Calendar tasks is appreciated and requested for enhancement
Easy to use once understood, providing a functional default tab screen
Motivational elements like quotes and wallpapers enhance user experience

Cons

Lack of flexibility in new tabs always opening the extension's page with no option to disable it
Users want ability to customize wallpapers including adding personal images
Confusing timer controls with poor UI cues (start button resembling back or rewind)
Timer resets unexpectedly when switching between tabs or functions
Some users find the extension hard to figure out initially, including how to access the Google search bar
Recent updates causing loss of saved notes and demanding new permissions (browser history) raise privacy concerns

Recent reviews

Amo esta extension !

mi*****, 2025-05-18

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.

Yv*****, 2025-04-25

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

Na*****, 2025-03-27

View all user reviews ›

Extension safety

Risk impact

Risk impact measures the level of extra permissions an extension has access to. A low risk impact extension cannot do much harms, whereas a high risk impact extension can do a lot of damage like stealing your password, bypassing your security settings, and accessing your personal data. High risk impact extensions are not necessarily malicious. However, if they do turn malicious, they can be very harmful.

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

Risk likelihood measures the probability that a Chrome extension may turn malicious. This is determined by the publisher and the Chrome extension reputation on Chrome Web Store, the amount of time the Chrome extension has been around, and other signals about the Chrome extension. Our algorithms are not perfect, and are subject to change as we discover new ways to detect malicious extensions. We recommend that you always exercise caution when installing a Chrome extension.

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 **** ********* *** ******* **** **** * ****** **** ***** ******** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
Low **** ********* *** ***** **** **** * ****** **** ***** ********** *** **** ****** ** ** ****** *** *****
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