# Dim inactive windows

**URL:** <https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [May 23, 2025, 11:54am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764 "2025-05-23T11:54:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/xidiot/32/27204_2.png) [@xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/u/xidiot)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 11:54am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/1 "2025-05-23T11:54:05Z")

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Hi Andreas, is there some macOS API, which can be used to dim all inactive windows (on multi-monitor setup) or maybe not only the windows but everything except menu bar + dock? Ideally this should allow configurable level of dimming.

I use dimming in my terminal, since I have multiple splits and it is really handy to know which one is the active one and I was wondering if this useful and productive feature is possible via BTT. I can imagine a whole bunch of workflows, e.g. if active window is my terminal app/IDE, make everything else dimmer to not distract me, but still be able to see them if needed etc.

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**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 7:51am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/2 "2025-05-30T07:51:19Z")

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here is an example on how you can achieve this using a floating menu:  
[dim4.bttpreset](https://community.folivora.ai/uploads/short-url/xp8z1b6iDzPl6bt846LPQuehoNW.bttpreset) (13.3 KB)  
//edit: updated to not show on launch

It dims everything except the active window when you press cmd+shift+1 and undims when pressing cmd+shift+2. It does this by placing a full-size translucent empty floating menu behind the active window. The level of dimming can be changed by adjusting the opacity of the floating menu background color.

You could even completely blur out everything via the blur background option:

 ![image](https://community.folivora.ai/uploads/default/original/3X/2/2/22cfac6e847a3dacd4513321231bcaf2e53a3e8c.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 8:49am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/3 "2025-05-30T08:49:16Z")

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There seems to be some issue defining the menu width/height based on the variables, I'm currently looking into this.

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**Author:** ![xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/xidiot/32/27204_2.png) [@xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/u/xidiot)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:11am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/4 "2025-05-30T09:11:02Z")

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Nice solution. Very clever. Thank you.

I've tried it briefly and tried to configure additional "permanent" floating menu for the unfocused screen, but I was not able to. Idea is not make sure only 1 window stands out across all screens.

Additionally if I use shortcuts to move the window between the 2 monitors, the floating menu stays on the one initially shown (I need to click on the window so that the floating menu is "transferred" to the correct screen and behind the focused window). If I use the mouse and drag the window to the other monitor - no issues. This is somewhat similar to the an issue described [here](https://community.folivora.ai/t/unpin-button-for-pinned-floating-on-top-windows/40435/11), but in this case "Prevent Window From Moving Outside of FocusedScreen" is unchecked.

I've also tried to create an trigger "Focused Window Did Change":

```auto
[
  {
    "BTTActionCategory" : 0,
    "BTTLastUpdatedAt" : 1748595902.427417,
    "BTTTriggerType" : 784,
    "BTTTriggerTypeDescriptionReadOnly" : "Focused Window Did Change",
    "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeOtherTriggers",
    "BTTUUID" : "C4F3480A-F9F3-40F4-B218-FD7A885813C7",
    "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 366,
    "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Empty Placeholder",
    "BTTEnabled" : 1,
    "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
    "BTTOrder" : 13,
    "BTTAdditionalActions" : [
      {
        "BTTActionCategory" : 0,
        "BTTLastUpdatedAt" : 1748596006.0274429,
        "BTTTriggerParentUUID" : "C4F3480A-F9F3-40F4-B218-FD7A885813C7",
        "BTTIsPureAction" : true,
        "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeOtherTriggers",
        "BTTUUID" : "9172C6DB-B828-4302-8B07-7E9D1665867A",
        "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 345,
        "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Pause Execution or Delay Next Action (async or not blocking)",
        "BTTDelayNextActionBy" : "0.2",
        "BTTEnabled" : 1,
        "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
        "BTTOrder" : 0
      },
      {
        "BTTActionCategory" : 0,
        "BTTLastUpdatedAt" : 1748595996.560638,
        "BTTTriggerParentUUID" : "C4F3480A-F9F3-40F4-B218-FD7A885813C7",
        "BTTIsPureAction" : true,
        "BTTTriggerClass" : "BTTTriggerTypeOtherTriggers",
        "BTTUUID" : "6910BE34-FF92-46EE-A8E6-D6B44EF84518",
        "BTTPredefinedActionType" : 386,
        "BTTPredefinedActionName" : "Show Floating Menu",
        "BTTAdditionalActionData" : {
          "BTTMenuActionMenuID" : "dim_screen2",
          "BTTMenuActionRestorePosition" : true
        },
        "BTTEnabled" : 1,
        "BTTEnabled2" : 1,
        "BTTOrder" : 1
      }
    ]
  }
]

```

which will always trigger the menu, but when switching between 2 apps, on 2 different monitors, using shortcuts, but the menu is not moving behind the newly focused window on the other screen.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:12am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/5 "2025-05-30T09:12:18Z")

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> [@xidiot](#):
>
> which will always trigger the menu, but when switching between 2 apps, on 2 different monitors, using shortcuts, but the menu is not moving behind the newly focused window on the other screen.

you always need to do it like in the shortcut to ensure the floating menu is moved behind the active one

 ![image](https://community.folivora.ai/uploads/default/original/3X/e/5/e5ff3740cfd5de8093f713dcb8cfa58b89b59ba2.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:26am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/6 "2025-05-30T09:26:47Z")

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5.446 should improve the sizing behavior (uploading now)

Currently there is no good way to show such a "dimmer" / floating menu on all the un-focused screens. However I have already planned a way to achieve this (initially for another feature) and it should become available soon.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/xidiot/32/27204_2.png) [@xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/u/xidiot)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:46am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/7 "2025-05-30T09:46:04Z")

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Yeah, this solves it! Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/xidiot/32/27204_2.png) [@xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/u/xidiot)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:52am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/8 "2025-05-30T09:52:35Z")

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I'm looking at your video and screenshot, but I cannot see the button/text for adding new items:

 ![image](https://community.folivora.ai/uploads/default/original/3X/7/9/7960b20000deb2ec5efa9b95c07263f020eb7df3.png)

Is there a way to hide it without adding item to the menu?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2025, 9:53am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/9 "2025-05-30T09:53:10Z")

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you need to add at least one dummy item, it can be fully transparent (the current version of the preset linked above already contains one)

There is still one issue where it sometimes shows up on the wrong screen... will be fixed in a few minutes, I think this will also solve some other floating menu positioning issues.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/xidiot/32/27204_2.png) [@xidiot](https://community.folivora.ai/u/xidiot)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2025, 9:18am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/10 "2025-09-01T09:18:13Z")

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Hey Andreas, I've checked the floating menu configuration, however I was not able to find the option which will allow floating menu on all unfocused screens. Just to the safe side I'm checking with you as well - have you implemented this?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2025, 7:35am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/dim-inactive-windows/43764/11 "2025-09-03T07:35:47Z")

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unfortunately not yet! I'll prioritize it 🙂