TL;DR
A writer frustrated with distraction-heavy Pixel use found Focus Friend, a gamified Pomodoro app from Hank Green. The app uses a virtual 'Bean' and rewards to encourage uninterrupted work and, according to the author, enabled sustained flow sessions.
What happened
After months of trying planners and Android’s built-in Digital Wellbeing tools, the author says he repeatedly fell back into doomscrolling and short, distracted work bursts. The change came when he installed Focus Friend, a Pomodoro-style timer that links real work sessions to a small virtual companion, or Bean. While the timer runs the Bean knits; completing a session earns in-app currency called socks, which can be spent on decorations to furnish the Bean’s room. If you leave the app or stop early, the knitting unravels and rewards are lost. On Android, enabling the app’s Deep Focus mode requires Overlay and Usage permissions; with those active, attempts to open other apps trigger a full-screen Bean prompt that discourages interruption. The writer reports longer, more productive stretches — including four-hour flow periods — and says the app replaced his previous timer apps.
Why it matters
- Shows a different approach to distraction control: rewards and attachment rather than strict blocking.
- Highlights limits of built-in features like App Timers that are easy to bypass.
- Demonstrates how Android permissions (Overlay, Usage) can be used to enforce focus at the system level.
- Suggests gamification can convert short, distracted sessions into sustained deep work for some users.
Key facts
- Focus Friend is a gamified productivity timer based on the Pomodoro technique.
- The app was created by internet educator Hank Green.
- During a session the app displays a Bean that knits; completing the timer awards socks, the in-app currency.
- Socks can be spent to buy furniture, plants, and wallpaper to decorate the Bean’s room.
- If the user exits the app or stops the timer early, the knitting unravels and progress is lost.
- Deep Focus mode on Android asks for Overlay and Usage permissions to intervene when other apps are opened.
- When interrupts are attempted in Deep Focus mode, a full-screen Bean appears to discourage leaving the session.
- The author reports reaching multi-hour flow states and replacing other timer apps with Focus Friend.
- The app supports different Bean companions (examples: Pinto, Edamame, Coffee Bean, Kitty Bean) and live activities on supported devices.
- The author describes Focus Friend as free.
What to watch next
- Whether broader user studies confirm similar long-term behavior change — not confirmed in the source.
- Any privacy or security implications of granting Overlay and Usage permissions on Android — not confirmed in the source.
- Platform availability and feature parity across iOS and other devices beyond the Pixel experience described — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Pomodoro technique: A time management method that breaks work into short intervals (commonly 25 minutes) separated by brief rests to boost focus and productivity.
- Overlay permission: An Android permission that allows an app to display content on top of other apps, often used for system-level prompts or blocking screens.
- Usage access: An Android permission that lets an app read which other apps are in use and for how long, enabling behavior tied to app usage.
- Gamification: The application of game-like elements—points, rewards, progress—to non-game contexts to increase engagement and motivation.
- Digital Wellbeing App Timers: A feature in Android’s Digital Wellbeing suite that lets users limit time spent in specific apps, often with reminders or temporary locks.
Reader FAQ
Who made Focus Friend?
The app was created by internet educator Hank Green.
Does Focus Friend require special permissions on Android?
Yes. The author says Deep Focus mode requests Overlay and Usage permissions to intervene when other apps are opened.
Is the app free?
The author describes Focus Friend as free.
Can you customize timer lengths or sync sessions across devices?
Not confirmed in the source.
Does Deep Focus block calls or emergency alerts?
Not confirmed in the source.
I can't believe I used my Google Pixel without this productivity tool for this long By Parth Shah Published 4 minutes ago Parth is a technology analyst and writer specializing…
Sources
- I can't believe I used my Google Pixel without this productivity tool for this long
- Focus Friend Might Have Finally Solved My Doomscrolling …
- FAQ — Focus Friend By Hank Green
- Using GOS / Pixel 8 to create a "Dumb-Ish" Phone that is " …
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