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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/chrisgrieser/shimmering-focus/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Shimmering Focus can be installed in two ways: directly through Obsidian’s built-in theme browser (recommended for most users), or manually by downloading the theme file from GitHub. Both methods result in an identical installation. Obsidian 1.13.0 or later is required.

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Method 1: Obsidian Community Theme Store

This is the easiest and most reliable method. Obsidian handles the download and placement automatically, and you will receive update notifications when new versions are released.
1

Open Obsidian Settings

Press Cmd/Ctrl + , to open the Settings panel, or click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the app.
2

Navigate to Appearance

In the left sidebar of Settings, click Appearance.
3

Open the Theme Browser

Under the Themes section, click the Manage button. This opens the community theme browser.
4

Search for Shimmering Focus

Type Shimmering Focus in the search field. The theme will appear in the results.
5

Install and Use

Click Install and use on the Shimmering Focus card. The theme is applied immediately.

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Method 2: Manual Installation from GitHub

Use this method if you want to install a specific version, test a pre-release build, or if the community store is unavailable.
1

Download the Theme File

Go to the Shimmering Focus GitHub releases page and download theme.css from the latest release assets.
2

Create the Theme Folder

In your vault’s root directory, navigate to .obsidian/themes/ and create a new folder named exactly Shimmering Focus. The full path should be:
your-vault/.obsidian/themes/Shimmering Focus/
3

Place the Theme File

Move the downloaded theme.css file into the Shimmering Focus folder you just created:
your-vault/.obsidian/themes/Shimmering Focus/theme.css
4

Select the Theme in Obsidian

Open Obsidian Settings → Appearance → Themes, and select Shimmering Focus from the dropdown.

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What Happens on First Run

Shimmering Focus hides several UI elements by default. This is intentional — the theme is designed for keyboard-centric users who navigate without relying on these controls. You can re-enable any of them at any time via the Style Settings plugin.
After installation, you may notice these changes right away:
  • Tab bar — hidden when only one tab is open; reappears automatically with two or more tabs.
  • Sidebar header buttons — only visible on hover over the sidebar panel.
  • Close buttons — hidden throughout the interface (use Cmd/Ctrl + W to close tabs, or Esc to close modals).
  • New-tab and tab-list buttons — hidden (use Cmd/Ctrl + T for a new tab, and the quick switcher to jump between tabs).
  • Suggester hints — the keyboard shortcut hints at the bottom of the command palette and quick switcher are hidden by default.
None of these are permanent. Every hidden element can be restored individually through Style Settings.

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Next Step: Install Style Settings

Shimmering Focus exposes over 100 customization options through the Style Settings plugin. Without it the theme works perfectly, but installing Style Settings unlocks the full range of configuration — from color schemes and fonts to vim mode behavior and per-plugin tweaks.
After installing the theme, head to Style Settings to explore everything you can configure — color schemes, vim mode, writer mode, font options, and much more.

Configure with Style Settings

Learn how to install the Style Settings plugin and navigate the 10 setting categories available for Shimmering Focus.

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