Using computer for working or studying is supposed to improve efficiency. However, things like social media and news can distract you.
Luckily, there are some focus apps designed to help people better manage time and focus. HeyFocus' Focus app is one of them, which is Mac-only. The app itself is called Focus, but there are many apps that share the same name. To prevent confusion, I will call this app by the name of its official website, which is heyfocus.com.
This review covers HeyFocus' features, level of strictness, and other things you want to know about this app. For Windows users who are interested in HeyFocus, I also provides some Windows alternatives.
Cisdem AppCrypt
HeyFocus is a focus app for Mac. It's designed to improve users' focus and productivity by properly managing time and blocking distracting websites and apps. In other words, it's basically a combination of a focus timer and a website and app blocker. If you exactly need a tool with both functions, you may find HeyFocus a helpful tool. Note that the full version of HeyFocus plus lifetime updates costs $99. If you prefer something more affordable, or if you are a Windows user, you can go to the second part of the article to check out the alternative solution.
HeyFocus provides three types of timers. Which one should you choose? Well, it depends on your specific needs.
Clicking the HeyFocus icon in the top menu bar will bring up a dialog box, which shows a timer, a tomato icon, and a Start Focus button. If you click Start Focus, a focus session will begin. When you feel like ending the session, just click Stop, and the timer will tell you how long you have been focused. Websites and apps specified by you will be blocked during a session.
The Pomodoro (Italian for tomato) technique is a method for managing focus time and breaks and is proven to be helpful. This timer allows you to practice this method. With the default settings, this timer will schedule a 25-minute focus session and then a 5 -minute break. Once this automatically recycles for four times, you will have a 10-minute long break. Start the timer by clicking the said tomato icon.
In HeyFocus' Preferences window, you will see Schedule tab. In this tab, you can choose specific times of the day and days of the week. As you can see, the default schedule reads “Weekdays, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 5m breaks”. From this, you can know that the focus session will automatically start at 9:00 morning and end at 5:00 in the afternoon. And it tells you that each break will last for 5 minutes. However, you need to specify how many breaks you need during the session.
When a focus session starts, user-specific websites and apps will get restricted. Once a session ends, they will be accessible again. The blocking and unblocking run automatically based on your timer.
Websites can be a big source of distractions, especially for those who use Mac (where there aren't many entertainment apps available). HeyFocus's website block list comes with a number of websites that are usually considered distracting, such as popular social media sites and news sites. You can manually add specific website to this block list or even import websites from text files.
In addition, there's an allow list for blocking websites. If you switch to this list and add a specific website, all websites except this one will be blocked. This helps create a distraction-free environment while allowing access to websites you need.
Certain apps like games can be distracting. This is when you can use HeyFocus to prevent access to them during focus time. If you want to add an app, you can click the Add icon at the bottom of the Application tab and select the apps on your mind.
Unlike the website blocking feature, there isn't an allow list for apps. If you are a Mac user who needs to block all apps except allowed ones, you can check out this alternative.
How long have you stayed focused this week? HeyFocus' Statistics feature tracks your short-time and long-term focus time, such as Today, This week, and This Month. This can help reveal how focused and productive you are.
To prevent you from easily changing your focus settings, HeyFocus offers optional password protection. If you use this protection feature, you will be asked for a password before making changes. Changes include removing a website or app from the block list. This helps improve effectiveness. You can ask someone else, like a friend, to set the password for you.
When a focus session is active, you won't be allowed to quit HeyFocus, helping enforce the completion of the session. However, stopping a session is still allowed. What if you just stop a session in advance? Don't worry. There's an optional lock feature, which, when enabled, will block you from stopping a session. If you need higher strictness, this feature is essential.
HeyFocus is a paid app. It provides three license types, and all of them only have one purchase option, which is one-time purchase.
| Type | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $24 | Basic features only |
| 2 | $49 | Both basic and advanced features |
| Lifetime | $99 | Everything from type 2 and lifetime updates |
You can get HeyFocus from its official website. Unlike many Mac apps, it comes in a ZIP file. After you unzip it, you will see the app, which doesn't need installation and is instantly usable.
HeyFocus is only compatible with Mac. If you are a Windows user, don't worry. There are actually alternatives, which are available for Mac users as well.
In this part, I will talk about two tools.
Windows users can use the two tools together to achieve what HeyFocus can do. Mac users who prefer a less costly alternative can also consider this solution.
Like HeyFocus, Pomofocus has an easy-to-use and customizable Pomodoro timer and a statistics feature. Both tools have a simple interface. However, Pomofocus doesn't have the two other timers.
Using it is as easy as visiting its website and clicking the Start button. Its default Pomodoro timer settings are the same as HeyFocus'. If you want a more personalized experience, simply go to Settings and change the settings.
You can use this focus timer with or without signing in. If you want more customization and need the statistics feature, you need to sign in.
AppCrypt is a website and app blocker that is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Like HeyFocus, it's easy to use for everyone.
Block distracting websites: More powerful than HeyFocus, this alternative allows you to block specific distracting websites, URLs that contain specific keywords, and certain categories of websites (such as social media, news sites, dating sites, and more). Also, it provides a whitelist mode that lets you block all websites except the allowed ones.
Block distracting apps: This alternative also has an app blocker. With it, you can easily make distracting apps like games inaccessible. In addition, AppCrypt on Mac offers a whitelist mode, allowing you to block all apps except those needed for work or study.
Schedule the restrictions: As in HeyFocus, this alternative has a Schedule feature, which provides two options: General Schedule and Custom Schedule. The former apples to all restrictions, and the latter applies only to a specific blocked website or app. This provides more flexibility.
Password protection: HeyFocus has measures to prevent users from bypassing the blocking of distractions so as to boost focus, so has AppCrypt. When the first time you open this app, it will ask you to create a password. The password is needed to unblock distractions and make other changes. As with HeyFocus, I recommend that you ask someone else to set the password for you.
Norah Hayes likes to share her tips on how to improve focus and stay motivated at work. She believes it is essential to eliminate all online distractions during work hours.
