FocusMark is a VS Code extension that makes the active window easy to spot when you have multiple VS Code windows open. It does this by applying a color theme to the active window and (optionally) adding a small indicator to the window title.
Features
Color the active window so it stands out.
Choose from preset themes or a custom hex color.
Optional title indicator to make the active window visible in the OS switcher.
Full color mode toggle; title-bar-only theming is the default.
Platform Behavior
FocusMark identifies and highlights the active VS Code window. It is a window-identification aid, not a window switcher.
macOS
Cmd+Tab switches apps, not VS Code windows, so FocusMark is less useful there.
`Cmd+`` switches between VS Code windows one-by-one; you only see one window at a time.
Best experience: Mission Control / App Exposé (Control+Down Arrow on VS Code), where you can see all VS Code windows at once and quickly spot the active one via color/title indicator.
Also great: AltTab app + FocusMark. AltTab gives a true window switcher on macOS, and FocusMark makes the last active VS Code window immediately obvious inside that switcher.
Windows / Linux
OS-level window switchers (for example Alt+Tab) typically show app windows more directly.
FocusMark helps the active VS Code window stand out in those switchers and on the desktop, especially with many similar projects open.
Title indicator is useful when window previews are small or truncated.
Screenshots
Commands
FocusMark: Change Theme – pick a preset or enter a custom color.
FocusMark: Change Title Indicator – pick a symbol for the window title.
FocusMark: Reset All Color Customizations – restore defaults.
Enable FocusMark / Disable FocusMark
Settings (simplified)
Each setting below uses the focusmark. prefix.
enabled
Master switch. When off, FocusMark disables colors, title indicator, and status bar.
enableColors
When false, FocusMark disables color theming and only applies the title indicator.
theme
Chooses the base color for the active window. Values: auto, orange, blue, green, purple, custom.
customColor
Hex color used when theme is custom. You can set this directly or via Custom Color in the Change Theme command.
keepInactiveWindowColors
When true, inactive windows keep your existing VS Code colors (no reset to defaults). When false, inactive windows reset to VS Code defaults.
fullColorMode
When true, color the activity bar, status bar, and other UI elements. When false, only the title bar is colored.
activeApplyDelay
Wait this many milliseconds before applying the active color (useful to smooth fast switching).
logLevel
Controls how much FocusMark logs to the output panel. Values: error, warn, info, debug.
coordinationScope
Controls whether FocusMark deactivates other windows globally (global) or only within the same workspace (workspace).
title.indicator
The exact symbol or emoji used in the title when the window is active (example: ◉ or ▶). Set to empty to disable the indicator.
Known Limits
VS Code does not support true per-window themes. FocusMark uses settings overrides to simulate this, so the active theme can only be applied after the extension activates.
On very slow disks or with heavy startup load, there may be a brief delay before the active window colors apply.
