By Anadolu staff
ISTANBUL (AA) - A new productivity app aims to help users stay focused by temporarily blocking distractions – such as doomscrolling through negative news stories – and rewarding sustained attention.
The app, Focus Friend, has topped Apple’s free app chart and has been downloaded more than 100,000 times on Google Play.
The app pairs users with a small animated bean, which completes virtual activities, such as knitting, while the user remains focused. Users earn rewards for uninterrupted focus sessions, while breaking focus interrupts the bean’s progress.
Additional rewards, including virtual room decorations and premium bean avatars, are available through optional purchases.
The app was developed by YouTuber Hank Green and game developer Bria Sullivan. Green said the goal is to give users control over their attention and reduce habits such as doomscrolling, without relying on ad revenue.