diff --git a/android/src/toga_android/app.py b/android/src/toga_android/app.py
index ff5dc08910..269219586f 100644
--- a/android/src/toga_android/app.py
+++ b/android/src/toga_android/app.py
@@ -392,3 +392,6 @@ def request_permissions(self, permissions, on_complete):
 
         self._listener.permission_requests[code] = on_complete
         self._native_requestPermissions(permissions, code)
+
+    def focus(self):
+        pass  # No-op on Android
diff --git a/cocoa/src/toga_cocoa/app.py b/cocoa/src/toga_cocoa/app.py
index b1c59c4a85..e26dfdb98d 100644
--- a/cocoa/src/toga_cocoa/app.py
+++ b/cocoa/src/toga_cocoa/app.py
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ def show_about_dialog(self):
         if self.interface.author is None:
             options["Copyright"] = ""
         else:
-            options["Copyright"] = f"Copyright © {self.interface.author}"
+            options["Copyright"] = f"Copyright {self.interface.author}"
 
         self.native.orderFrontStandardAboutPanelWithOptions(options)
 
@@ -385,3 +385,6 @@ def get_current_window(self):
 
     def set_current_window(self, window):
         window._impl.native.makeKeyAndOrderFront(window._impl.native)
+
+    def focus(self):
+        self.native.activateIgnoringOtherApps_(True)
diff --git a/core/src/toga/app.py b/core/src/toga/app.py
index aca728de74..eabcac69f8 100644
--- a/core/src/toga/app.py
+++ b/core/src/toga/app.py
@@ -1020,6 +1020,16 @@ def set_full_screen(self, *windows: Window) -> None:
     # End backwards compatibility
     ######################################################################
 
+    def focus(self):
+        """Bring the application into focus.
+
+        This method will attempt to bring the application window into focus. Note that
+        it is generally considered poor practice for applications to steal focus from
+        the user, so use this method sparingly.
+
+        This is a no-op on mobile and console platforms.
+        """
+        self._impl.focus()
 
 ######################################################################
 # 2024-08: Backwards compatibility
diff --git a/gtk/src/toga_gtk/app.py b/gtk/src/toga_gtk/app.py
index cfffc512c9..25e5be07c8 100644
--- a/gtk/src/toga_gtk/app.py
+++ b/gtk/src/toga_gtk/app.py
@@ -248,3 +248,7 @@ def get_current_window(self):  # pragma: no-cover-if-linux-wayland
 
     def set_current_window(self, window):
         window._impl.native.present()
+
+    def focus(self):
+        # GTK doesn't provide a reliable way to bring an app into focus
+        pass
diff --git a/web/src/toga_web/app.py b/web/src/toga_web/app.py
index fec494d7d7..ed1c10ff5b 100644
--- a/web/src/toga_web/app.py
+++ b/web/src/toga_web/app.py
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def show_about_dialog(self):
             name_and_version += f" v{self.interface.version}"
 
         if self.interface.author is not None:
-            copyright = f"\n\nCopyright © {self.interface.author}"
+            copyright = f"\n\nCopyright {self.interface.author}"
 
         close_button = create_element(
             "sl-button", slot="footer", variant="primary", content="Ok"
@@ -156,3 +156,6 @@ def enter_presentation_mode(self, screen_window_dict):
 
     def exit_presentation_mode(self):
         self.interface.factory.not_implemented("App.exit_presentation_mode()")
+
+    def focus(self):
+        pass  # No-op on web platform
diff --git a/winforms/src/toga_winforms/app.py b/winforms/src/toga_winforms/app.py
index f26445b6f1..a9e73fe750 100644
--- a/winforms/src/toga_winforms/app.py
+++ b/winforms/src/toga_winforms/app.py
@@ -264,3 +264,8 @@ def get_current_window(self):
 
     def set_current_window(self, window):
         window._impl.native.Activate()
+
+    def focus(self):
+        # Bring the app's main window into focus if it exists
+        if self.interface.main_window:
+            self.interface.main_window._impl.native.Activate()