Productivity tools have been a thing for a while now, from clocks with bright red segments to phone attachments that literally block you from using your phone for a certain amount of time, but nothing has ever seemed quite as effective — because it’s so cute — as the new productivity app created by YouTuber Hank Green.
Similar to other apps that block specific parts of your phone or set limits on social apps, Focus Friend is a free app described as an “ADHD-friendly focus timer” on the App Store. In the app, you choose a cartoon bean who really, really wants to knit. Once you choose your little bean, it shows up on your phone with the amount of time you set — maybe you need an hour to finish a work project, or just 30 minutes to wrap up some laundry without distractions — and you can see your little bean knitting away.
But if you try to touch your phone before the time is up? Well, it doesn’t just “stop” you from using your phone, but the app hits all of your empathy nerves by your little bean getting extremely sad at having their knitting interrupted.
Now. Don’t you feel bad for being unproductive and hurting your bean’s feelings?
When you let your little bean do its thing, though, you may end up with socks and scarves that you can trade in for items to decorate your bean’s digital bedroom. So not only are you getting what you need done without your phone as a distraction, but you can also hit that dopamine by playing inside the app and choosing items to decorate.
It sounds so simple, but honestly, that’s the allure of it. And the added joy of a legit character being affected by your focus is so sweet. It gives you that happy burst to do what you need, and also doesn’t feel quite as mean or stingy as a loud, ticking clock or a huge analog on your phone that makes you feel like you’re trying to diffuse a bomb in time.
Hank Green was already well known for sharing information, but this might be my favorite contribution of his. I downloaded Focus Friend today, and even though I always think I have a pretty good relationship with my phone, I’m quick to grab it whenever there’s a lull in the day or when I’m overwhelmed with my to-do list. But Focus Friend really did help, and even when I grabbed my phone out of routine, I was always pleasantly surprised to see my little bean knitting away.
And the thought of having him drop his stitches? It was enough to send me back to my emails.
I’ve tried focus apps in the past. I’ve bricked my phone, I’ve put up reminders, I’ve set screen-time limits — nothing has ever held my attention like Focus Friend. The rest all felt too strict and too stifling. But this one feels like a sweet little game, and less “YOU ARE BAD AT USING YOUR PHONE” and more “Sometimes you just need a break so your bean can knit!”
The bonus is that you don’t have to create an account for Focus Friend, and there’s no data to be mined away from you. It’s not an app that requires a whole lot of work — the entire premise is to help you stay focused and to give you as much dopamine as possible.
And when you get to buy all those tiny little plants for your bean’s room, you’ll really feel it.
Turns out, you’re not lazy. You just needed someone to count on you to get their knitting done.
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