A focus app for studying that locks your phone too

For the night you sat down at 8 and were still on chapter one at midnight.

You're not lazy

Most lost study time doesn't feel like quitting. It feels like one quick look at your phone, one tab to check something, one short video. Researcher Gloria Mark at UC Irvine found that people stay on one screen for about 47 seconds on average, and it can take around 25 minutes to get back to a task after an interruption.

In one 2017 study by Ward and colleagues, people did worse on tests of attention and memory with their phone sitting on the desk than with it in another room. That's one study, but it matches what many students notice: a phone can pull at you even when it's silent.

How to study with FocusOS

1. Write what you're studying. Be specific: "Graphs, lecture 10" works better than "study".
2. Choose how long, from 25 minutes up.
3. Open your notes, your PDF and your practice sheet. They become your list.
4. Press Lock in. Anything else is hidden and has to ask first.
5. On your Android phone, enter the session key. It stays locked until the session ends.

What if i really need something

It's strict, but it won't trap you.

• Calls and emergency calls still work on your phone.
• You get two 10-minute breaks on your phone each session, and two 10-minute unlocks on your computer.
• You can choose apps to keep on your phone, like a calculator or an authenticator.
• You can leave early by explaining why, and you can take half the time instead.

If you're studying on your phone

If you use video lessons on your phone, add that app to your allowed apps first. The more you allow, the less it locks, so keep the list short.

What it costs

Nothing. There's no paid tier, ads or sign-up, so you don't need to give anyone your email. Your sessions stay on your own device.

Get it

FocusOS runs on Windows 10 and 11 and Android 8 or newer. It isn't available on iPhone. Download it from focusoslive.xyz.