1. Pause before the scroll begins
When you open a configured app, an Apple Shortcuts automation starts FocusPause. One brief breath slows the automatic motion so your attention can catch up with your thumb.
2. Name why you are opening it
Choose or write your real purpose before continuing. It might be replying to one message, checking a fact, or relaxing for ten minutes. A purpose is not a test; it turns a vague impulse into a plan you can evaluate.
3. Decide how long you intend to stay
Set an intended time before entering the distracting app. A decision made before the scroll begins is more likely to reflect what you originally wanted than a reminder shown halfway through.
4. Review and adjust
See the path of each open, your stop rate, recent sessions, and the app-purpose combinations that most often pull you through. Then adjust the purpose, breathing duration, or protection status for the next attempt.
What the current version is—and is not
- Requires iOS 18 or later.
- Starts the pause flow through a personal Apple Shortcuts automation.
- The current App Store version is not a permanent, impossible-to-bypass hard lock. You keep the choice to continue or walk away.
- Active blocking features currently in development are not part of the public version.