Anchor
Anchor
Leave the task, and it quietly pulls you back.
A free Mac menu-bar companion that keeps you on deep work — auto-return, thought parking, and a session you can pause when life interrupts.
What is Anchor?
A free macOS focus app for anyone who drifts mid-task.
Anchor is a free menu-bar app for Mac (macOS 14+). Start a session with one intention; when you leave your deep-work apps, it pulls you back. Install with brew install --cask tebinraouf/anchor/anchor. No account — sessions stay on your Mac.
How it works
Stay with the work — without another to-do app.
Name the task
Start a session with one line — the thing you’re completing right now.
Drift gets a gentle return
Wander into messages, email, or the browser mid-session and Anchor brings you back automatically.
Park the urge
Capture the interrupting thought so you can stay with the task instead of chasing a new tab.
Inside the HUD
Built for the corner of your screen — not another dashboard.
While you work, a quiet session count floats in the corner — present without another window competing for attention.
Features
Everything you need to finish — free on your Mac.
Focus sessions
Name one intention and start. The menu-bar timer tracks focused time — not idle stretches.
Auto-return when you drift
Leave your deep-work apps for the browser, messages, or Finder and Anchor gently pulls you back.
Primary focus app
Order the apps that count as deep work. #1 is where Anchor returns you — every time.
Soft or strict
Take a two-minute away window, or use Strict mode for a short countdown and a faster return.
Pause the whole session
Freeze the timer and friction when you need a real break — resume when you’re ready.
Park the urge
⌘⇧P captures the interrupting thought so you can stay with the task instead of a new tab.
FAQ
Straight answers.
- What is Anchor?
- Anchor is a free Mac menu-bar app for deep work. You start a session with one intention; if you leave your deep-work apps, Anchor gently pulls you back.
- Is Anchor free?
- Yes. Anchor is free for now. No account is required, and sessions stay on your Mac.
- How do I install Anchor?
- On macOS 14+, run: brew install --cask tebinraouf/anchor/anchor — or download a DMG from the install page.
- Does Anchor read what I type?
- No. If you grant Input Monitoring, Anchor only uses keystroke and mouse-move rates for idle/flow signals. It never records key contents, passwords, or clipboard data.
- What happens when I open Finder or a browser mid-session?
- If those apps are outside your deep-work list, Anchor starts an away countdown (or Strict return) and brings you back to your primary deep-work app — usually the first app in your ordered list.
Free forever — for now
Install with Homebrew in one line.
No account. Sessions and parked thoughts stay on your Mac. Copy the command, paste in Terminal, and you’re done.
Command: brew install --cask tebinraouf/anchor/anchor
brew install --cask tebinraouf/anchor/anchor