Questions and answers

Just a Pause is a menu-bar app for Mac that uses the head-tracking sensors in your AirPods to notice when you look away from the screen. When you do, the screen softly blurs, hiding what's on it from a passing glance. When you look back, the blur lifts.

AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods 3, AirPods 4, AirPods Max 2 and AirPods 5 have motion sensors for Spatial Audio. macOS shares that head motion with apps through Apple's Core Motion framework. Just a Pause compares your head angle with the edges of your screen, which you set once in a short calibration.

No. It needs AirPods with head tracking. It doesn't use the camera, so without compatible AirPods it has no way to know where you're looking.

No. One AirPod is enough, as long as it's a model with head tracking.

Yes. The blur covers every connected display, and calibration takes the full width of your setup into account.

AirPods Pro (1st, 2nd and 3rd generation), AirPods Max (Lightning and USB-C), AirPods 3, AirPods 4 (with and without noise cancellation), AirPods Max 2 and AirPods 5. These are the AirPods models with Spatial Audio head tracking.

AirPods 1 and AirPods 2 have no head-tracking sensors, so the Mac can't tell where you're looking.

No. macOS only shares head motion from Apple AirPods models with head tracking, so other Bluetooth headphones can't be used.

macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Macs running macOS 13 Ventura or earlier can't receive AirPods head motion.

It works on any Mac that runs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and can connect to your AirPods.

No. Just a Pause only blurs the screen. Your music and video keep playing.

No. While any app is using your camera, Just a Pause never blurs, so you can look at notes or another window during a call. It only checks whether the camera is on; it never accesses the camera itself. You can turn this off in settings.

Yes. Snooze it from the menu bar for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours, or switch the blur off completely.

The blur clears when your screen locks, and Just a Pause recenters itself after your Mac wakes or unlocks. If your AirPods stop sending motion, for example when you take them out, the blur never stays stuck on screen.

It never blurs while you type or use the mouse. You can add up to 20° of extra room past the screen edges in settings, press ⌃⌥⌘R to recenter, or press Esc to clear the blur until you look back.

Yes. Blur strength goes from 30% to 100% in the menu.

AirPods sensors can drift slowly. Just a Pause can stay centered using your mouse pointer: when you click or move the pointer, it knows you're looking at the screen and quietly corrects itself.

No. It never turns on or reads from the camera. It only reads the head motion your AirPods report. To stay off during video calls, it checks a system flag that says whether any camera is in use, which needs no camera permission.

No. The blur is a window drawn by macOS on top of your screen. Just a Pause never captures or reads what's on your display, and it doesn't ask for Screen Recording permission.

No. Head motion is processed on your Mac and never leaves it. The only network requests are license activation and update checks.

Motion & Fitness, so macOS can share your AirPods' head motion with the app. You can turn it off any time in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Motion & Fitness.

It's a one-time payment: $4.99 for 1 Mac, $7.99 for 2 Macs or $9.99 for 3 Macs. No subscription, and all future updates are included.

No trial, but every purchase comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. If it isn't for you, write within 14 days and you get a full refund.

Yes. Deactivate the old Mac in the app's settings and activate the new one with the same key. You can also manage your Macs in the customer portal.

Open the customer portal from the app or the website and sign in with your purchase email. Your key and receipts are there.