Updated 3 November 2026 by Spencer Lay, who makes FocusFlow.
How it works
You pick the apps that get locked. You add the tasks you need to do. When you finish a task, you take a photo of it, an AI model checks the photo against the task, and you earn 15 minutes by default. The minutes count down only while you are in the locked apps, and when they run out the apps lock again, even if FocusFlow is closed. Once every task for the day is done, the apps stay open for the rest of the day.
Why a photo instead of a timer
Most blockers unlock after a set time or when you tap a button, so the lock lasts only as long as your willpower does. FocusFlow unlocks when the work is finished. A photo of a completed problem set, a page of notes or an essay with the word count showing is enough.
If the AI is unsure about a photo, you can retake it or count the task yourself. Photo proof can be switched off for any task.
What else it does
- Blockout times, like class or bedtime, when nothing unlocks.
- A daily cap on each app, whatever you have earned.
- Tasks from your calendar, Reminders or Canvas.
- An emergency override, with a wait before it opens and a record in your history.
- Friends who can see how many tasks you finished, never what they were.
What it costs and what you need
FocusFlow is free to download from the App Store. The family plan, for parents setting it up on their kids' devices, is $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year after 7 days free.
FocusFlow needs an iPhone on iOS 17 or later. Kids on a family plan can use an iPhone or an iPad.