Become the person who ships
Most focus apps punish you or lock you out. Refocus coaches you through—no blocking, no guilt, just intelligent nudges that help you finally finish what you start.
2-minute setup · No signup · No config · macOS 12+
See it in action
Watch how Refocus helps you stay focused with personalized voice coaching
You already know the problem
You open Twitter for "just a sec" and emerge 45 minutes later, proposal untouched.
to regain focus after each distraction
average attention span on screens
more drifts in afternoon sessions
Social media uses slot machine mechanics to hijack your dopamine system. You're not weak. You're fighting an unfair fight.
Blocking apps triggers reactance—that "why are you forbidding me?" feeling. Refocus takes a different approach: voice coaching that nudges you back instead of walls that lock you out.
Why I built this
I'm Sam. I spent years thinking I had ADHD before realizing I'd just trained my brain to crave dopamine hits. Freedom and Cold Turkey made me feel punished. Forest made me feel guilty.
I wanted a coach, not a cop. So I built one.
The AI behind Refocus uses Thompson Sampling—the same algorithm Netflix uses to learn your preferences—to figure out what motivation style works for your brain. Gentle nudges. Direct challenges. Humor. It adapts.
If you've ever closed Twitter just to reopen it 10 seconds later, this is for you.
How it works
Not another blocking app. A path from chronic starter to serial finisher.
90-Second Setup
One-time setup: Tell it your goal ("Ship my landing page") and classify 5-10 apps. Takes 90 seconds. After that, it runs quietly in your menu bar—just observes.
Progressive Voice Intervention
When you drift, Refocus escalates: Stage 1 (1 min): Gentle voice nudge personalized to your goal. Stage 2 (2 min): Slightly more direct—acknowledges what you're doing. Stage 3 (2 min): Guided breathing to reset before you return.
Adaptive Learning
The app learns what works for you. If gentle reminders stop helping, it tries direct or humorous approaches. Your identity goals power the nudges: "You said you want to ship projects. Your proposal is waiting."
Why this is different
Forest sells guilt. Freedom sells walls. Refocus sells transformation.
Voice Coaching, Not Notifications
Each nudge is AI-generated based on your context: current app, window title, session goal, and your identity. Delivered via natural text-to-speech for hands-free, ambient coaching.
Identity-Based Motivation
During onboarding, you define who you want to become. Research shows identity-based goals are more resilient than outcome goals. That's why Refocus asks "Who do you want to become?" not "How many hours do you want to focus?"
Learns What Works For You
Thompson Sampling optimizes which tone and approach lands. Five tones (gentle, questioning, empathetic, direct, humor) × four approaches. If gentle stops working, it adapts.
Progressive Escalation
Unlike apps that block immediately, Refocus gives you chances to self-correct. Voice nudge → second nudge → breathing exercise. You stay in control.
How Refocus compares
| Forest | Freedom | One Sec | Refocus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Gamification | Hard blocking | Breathing pause | Voice coaching |
| Tone | Guilt "you killed your tree" | Punishment "access denied" | Friction same for everyone | Personalized learns you |
| Adapts to you? | No | No | No | Yes |
| Privacy | Requires account | Requires account | Local | Local, no account |
Built for knowledge workers
Not for people who don't know they have a problem. Not for those who want hard blocking. For the self-aware who need a helping hand.
You do creative or deep work—coding, design, writing, analysis
You're self-aware enough to admit you have a focus problem
You feel a gap between who you are and who you want to be
You work remote or solo and need external accountability
You've tried willpower. It's not enough.
"I want to be someone who finishes what they start."— The first thing Refocus asks you
This isn't for everyone. If you need hard blocking, use Freedom. If you want gamification, use Forest. But if you want to rebuild your attention without feeling punished or controlled, you're in the right place.
From beta users
Real feedback from people rebuilding their focus.
"I thought I had ADHD. Turns out I just fucked my dopamine with endless scrolling. Refocus helped me rebuild actual focus. Finally shipped my side project after 8 months of nothing."
"The voice nudges feel like a friend checking in, not a cop blocking me. That's the difference that made it stick."
"I've tried Forest, Freedom, One Sec—none of them worked because they made me feel controlled. Refocus coaches me instead. The difference is I actually stick with it."
Everything you need
Built for deep work, designed to stay out of your way.
Privacy First
All data stays on your Mac. No accounts, no cloud sync, no tracking. Window titles are processed locally.
Focus Metrics
Daily focus time, drift count, context switches, and streaks. See your patterns at a glance.
Smart App Classification
Mark apps as productive, neutral, or distracting. AI suggests categories for new apps automatically.
Breathing Exercises
When voice nudges don't work, a guided breathing overlay provides a mindful reset before you return to work.
Lightweight
Native macOS app built with Rust + Tauri. Minimal CPU and memory—you won't notice it running.
Browser Extension
Track distraction in browser tabs. Knows when you're on YouTube vs YouTube Music, Twitter vs TweetDeck.
Simple pricing
Currently free while in beta. No credit card required.
Get full access while we're in beta. Early users get grandfathered pricing when we launch paid tiers—plus direct influence on the roadmap.
- Unlimited focus sessions
- All nudge intensity levels
- AI-powered app classification
- Focus metrics & analytics
- Browser extension included
- Local-only, privacy-first
macOS 12+ required · Apple Silicon & Intel supported
No credit card · No signup · Just download and focus