Alpha — expect bugs. Please report issues on GitHub.
Menu bar app for macOS that blurs the desktop and leaves your focused window sharp. A full-screen surface on each display sits just below visible windows in Z-order — no Accessibility API, no window masks.
Requires macOS 26.2+. Build with Xcode 26.
Latest release: GitHub Releases
- Download
Lens-x.y.z.dmgfrom the latest release - Open the DMG and drag Lens to Applications
- Launch Lens from Applications
Lens is not notarized (no paid Apple Developer account). macOS may block the first launch with an “unidentified developer” warning.
Option A: Right-click Lens in Applications → Open → confirm Open.
Option B: Remove the download quarantine flag:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Lens.appIf needed: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.
git clone https://github.com/dch09/Lens.git
cd Lens
open Lens.xcodeprojRun the Lens scheme (⌘R). Left-click the menu bar icon to toggle focus. Right-click for the Visible submenu, Settings, and Quit. Global shortcuts are unset by default — assign them in Settings → System.
Run tests:
xcodebuild -scheme Lens -destination 'platform=macOS' testOptional toggles in Settings → System. They apply only while focus is on; your Desktop & Dock preferences are restored when focus ends. First use prompts for System Events under Privacy → Automation. If the prompt never appears after installing to /Applications, try tccutil reset AppleEvents com.dch09.Lens.
Contributions are welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup, PR guidelines, and how to report bugs.
Lens tracks windows via CGWindowList — Accessibility is not required. It uses private APIs (CABackdropLayer, SkyLight via dlsym) and is not App Store–safe; see Lens/Lens.entitlements. Behavior can vary with Mission Control, Stage Manager, and native full-screen Spaces.
Architecture details: CLAUDE.md. Changelog: CHANGELOG.md.
MIT. KeyboardShortcuts (MIT) for global shortcut recording.