An overlay needs an explicit focus contract
Why Side Whisper separates View, Interact, and Focus instead of treating always-on-top as one ambiguous mode.
Visible is not the same as interactive
A desktop overlay can be visible above a game while still allowing mouse input to pass through. It can accept pointer input without owning the keyboard. It can also deliberately take focus for typing, sign-in, or a child window. Treating those states as one toggle makes failures feel random.
Three modes, three promises
- View keeps the surface visible and click-through so the underlying game remains in control.
- Interact enables pointer operation for visible Side Whisper controls.
- Focus deliberately transfers keyboard ownership when a text field, login, or payment child window needs it.
Windows still sets the outer boundary
Borderless and normal fullscreen workflows are the primary target. Exclusive fullscreen, anti-cheat restrictions, protected media, display changes, and unusual multi-monitor layouts can alter what Windows allows an overlay to show or focus.
That is why the product exposes a mode contract and recovery path instead of claiming universal overlay compatibility.