Installation and activation

Download the app from the install page (you'll need to be signed in). Requirements: an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.

Choosing a bundle

Standard includes an LGPL build of FFmpeg with open codecs (OpenH264, VP9, and the common formats). For proprietary codecs the app uses macOS VideoToolbox instead, so hardware H.264 and HEVC encoding work out of the box.

Standard + Essentials adds the default models to the disk image, so Enhance and Refine work right after activation with nothing to download. It comes in a 16 GB and a 32 GB edition; they differ only in the Regenerate-Q tile sizes they carry (see the Model Library page).

No media library is a smaller download that installs FFmpeg and mpv through Homebrew on first launch. This adds software encoders the LGPL build cannot ship, such as ProRes, x264, and x265. First launch needs an admin password, an internet connection, and about 500 MB. Pick Standard unless you specifically need those encoders.

Install steps

1. 1Open the downloaded .dmg and drag Refocused into Applications, then eject the disk image.
2. 2Launch Refocused from Applications.
3. 3On first launch the app checks its dependencies. If anything required is missing you'll see the System Dependencies panel. Click Install Dependencies, let it finish, then Check Install Status and Continue.

A fresh install opens onto the Dashboard with a setup card whose only ask is Activate. Installs that came with the Essentials bundle go straight from there to the computer check; other installs add a Models step in between.

1. 1Click Activate. It opens refocused.ai/activatein your browser. Sign in if you haven't (Google, or a code emailed to you), and the page creates a software key for this install and shows it once. Click Copy.
2. 2Back in the app, paste the key into Software key and click Activate. The app generates a license for this device and verifies it with the engine. This works the same for a free trial and for a purchased license; the account decides which you get.
3. 3Already have a key (it starts with rfcs_)? Use I have a software key under the Activate button and paste it. Keys live on your API Keys & Licenses page.
4. 4If you have an access code, redeem RF-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX on your account page first, or later in the app under Settings → License Management → Redeem a Code.
5. 5Installing on a machine without internet access? Choose Air-gapped machine. The card shows this computer's Device ID with a Copy button and the three steps: create the license file for that ID from your API Keys & Licenses page on a connected device, bring the .rflic file over, and drop it on the card.

If you installed a Standard + Essentials package, the default models are already in place and this step does not appear. Otherwise the setup card offers four presets that follow the workflows: All, Enhance, Enhance without Diffusion (no Regenerate-Q, a smaller download), and Refine (segmentation, depth and denoise). Each installs one engine per model family, downloading the weights and building the engines for your hardware in one step with a single progress bar.

To pick individual weights and engines instead, click Open Model Library (covered on the Model Library page). On machines without internet access, Use local files points the app at a folder of models downloaded from the offline model packages page.

The last card of the setup is a quick check: a short Regenerate-Q run on a bundled clip that exercises the engine, the license, the models and the GPU together. It uses the GPU for a minute or two. Click Run quick check; when it passes, the card reports how the job ran (tile size, frames per second, total time) and Continue finishes the setup. Skip leaves it for later: the same check, plus a tile-size benchmark, lives in Settings → Application → Check this computer (see the settings reference).

The pill in the top bar shows your license state. Click it for status, expiry, and days remaining. On a trial, the pill also has an Upgrade button. After you purchase, the app detects the upgrade within a few seconds; if it doesn't, click Refresh License. Your saved key, license generation, and code redemption live in Settings → License Management.