Tab Lock – Focus Mode

A Chrome extension that keeps you on your focus tab. Two modes: instant tab lock and a Pomodoro-style focus timer with escalating breaks.

Version: 1.1.1 (see manifest.json)

Features

Tab Lock (toggle)

• Click the extension icon and choose Lock Tab to lock yourself to the current tab.
• Optionally enter a task before locking. It appears as a draggable reminder on every tab in your allowed set (drag to reposition, double-click to reset to top center).
• If you switch to another tab, Tab Lock blocks that tab. In the popup, under Blocked tab, choose Breathing ritual (10s) for a guided inhale/exhale animation before the locked screen, or Tab lock only to show the locked screen immediately.
• Opening a new tab while locked does not add it to the allowed set. It stays blocked until you explicitly add it from Manage tabs in the popup.
• While locked, Leave-site warning: on allowed tabs, clicking a link that would take you to a different hostname shows a confirm dialog so you do not drift off-site by accident (same-site and subdomain navigation is not interrupted).
• Click Unlock Tab to disable the lock.
• The toolbar icon switches between locked and unlocked artwork; the badge shows ON when a focus lock is active.

Pomodoro focus

• Start Pomodoro begins a focus cycle (the optional task reminder works here too):
  • 60 min focus → 5 min break → 60 min focus → 10 min break → 60 min focus → 20 min break → (repeats)
• During focus phases, tab lock behaves like Lock Tab.
• During breaks you can browse freely.
• Lifeline: hold for 5 seconds to cancel the Pomodoro session and unlock.

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository.
2. Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/.
3. Turn on Developer mode (toggle in the top-right).
4. Click Load unpacked.
5. Select the unswitch project folder (or your local clone path).

Usage

1. Go to the tab you want to focus in (document, IDE, study page, and so on).
2. Click the Tab Lock icon in the Chrome toolbar.
3. Choose Lock Tab for an immediate lock, or Start Pomodoro for structured focus and break periods.

Requirements

• Chrome 88 or later (Manifest V3)
• Permissions: tabs, activeTab, scripting, alarms, storage
• Host permissions: <all_urls> (needed to inject the blocker, overlay, and reminder on ordinary web pages)

Project structure

unswitch/
  manifest.json          # Extension manifest (Manifest V3)
  background.js          # Service worker: lock state, Pomodoro alarms, tab/window handlers
  popup/
    popup.html           # Toolbar popup UI
    popup.css
    popup.js
  content/
    blocker.js           # Full-screen blocker on tabs outside the allowed set (content script)
    blocker.css
    overlay.js           # 10-second breathing ritual shown before the locked screen
    overlay.css
    leave-domain.js      # Confirm before leaving the current site from an allowed tab while locked
    reminder.js          # Draggable task banner on allowed tabs
    reminder.css
  blocked/
    blocked.html         # Fallback blocked page
    blocked.css
  icons/                 # Locked / unlocked toolbar icons (16, 32, 48, 128 px)
  store-assets/          # Icons and screenshots for store listing (optional)

Manual testing checklist

• Tab lock toggle: Lock → switch to another tab → see 10-second breathing ritual → see locked screen.
• Unlock: Unlock from popup → switch tabs freely.
• Icon / badge: Icon reflects lock state; badge shows ON when locked.
• Locked tab closed: Closing the primary locked tab disables the lock.
• Leave-site warning: On an allowed tab while locked, click an external link → confirm dialog; cancel stays on page.
• Pomodoro start: Start Pomodoro → tab locks, countdown visible in popup as expected.
• Pomodoro focus → break: After focus duration → break phase, free browsing.
• Pomodoro break → focus: After break → focus phase, lock active again.
• Pomodoro cycle: Break lengths follow 5 → 10 → 20 minutes across cycles.
• Lifeline: Hold Lifeline 5 s → session ends, tabs unlock.
• Cross-window: Lock in window A → focus window B with a non-allowed tab → forced back to locked tab.

License

MIT