Focus Friend Bean Timer – Focus with Your Adorable Companion
The Focus Friend bean timer turns focus into a shared task: set a session, and your Focus Friend bean knits socks while you work. Stay focused together, use the Focus Friend break timer between sessions, and earn rewards to decorate your bean's home.
Focus Friend by Hank Green is built around a simple idea: when you focus, your bean focuses. The app uses a Pomodoro-friendly flow—you pick a focus duration (from 5 minutes up to 120), start the Focus Friend bean timer, and your bean starts knitting. If you cancel early or open a blocked app, your bean's work unravels and the bean gets sad; complete the session and you earn socks (and scarves if you're on Pro) to spend on furniture and decorations. The Focus Friend pomodoro style works because the reward is visible and the accountability feels personal, not punitive.
How the Focus Friend Bean Timer Works
Set a timer, let your Focus Friend bean knit, and earn socks. The Focus Friend break timer lets you decorate between sessions.
Set Your Timer
Choose your focus duration from 5 to 120 minutes. On iOS you can see your bean's progress on the lock screen with Live Activity. Your Focus Friend bean gets ready to knit—just tap start and put your phone down.
Watch Your Bean Work
While you work, your Focus Friend bean knits socks. If you leave the app or open a blocked app in Deep Focus Mode, the bean drops its stitches and gets sad; that session's socks and scarves are forfeit. Many users find that not wanting to disappoint the bean makes the Focus Friend bean timer more effective than a plain timer.
Earn & Decorate
Finish the session and your bean hands over the socks (and scarves for Pro users). Use the Focus Friend break timer between sessions to browse the shop and decorate your bean's room—furniture, plants, and themes all cost socks or scarves.
Focus Friend Pomodoro and Break Timer
Use breaks to decorate instead of scrolling
Focus Friend uses a Pomodoro-style flow: focus for a set block, then take a break. During the break, the app encourages you to spend time in your bean's room—choosing new furniture or themes with the socks you just earned. That way the Focus Friend break timer isn't dead time; it's a short, rewarding pause. You can stick to classic 25-minute focus + 5-minute break or set longer Focus Friend pomodoro blocks (e.g. 50 minutes) if that fits your rhythm. The break timer is built in, so you don't need a separate Pomodoro app.
What Is Deep Focus Mode on Focus Friend?
Block distracting apps so your Focus Friend bean can knit without interruption
Deep Focus Mode in Focus Friend hooks into your device's Screen Time (iOS) or equivalent (Android) so you choose which apps are blocked during a focus session. When it's on, opening a blocked app counts as interrupting your bean—your bean gets sad and you don't get the session's socks. That's what makes Deep Focus Mode on Focus Friend so useful: you're not fighting the whole phone, just the apps that distract you. You can still take calls, use maps, or check messages if you leave those off the block list. On iOS, Pro subscribers can edit the allow list so specific apps (e.g. calculator) stay available during focus. The official FAQ notes that if another app (e.g. Forest or Opal) also uses Screen Time to block apps, Apple can struggle with both at once—so using Focus Friend Deep Focus Mode alone avoids that conflict.
Pro tip: Longer sessions in Deep Focus Mode may earn bonus socks!
What People Say About the Focus Friend Bean Timer
Real users on why the Focus Friend bean works
The Verge
The Verge called Focus Friend an app that "gamifies my attention in just the right ways" and said helping furnish a virtual bean's room was "exactly what I needed" for focus. One writer uses the Focus Friend bean timer only during work hours—"a cartoon bean is my new full-time coworker"—and reports getting more done because distractions are fewer.
Android Police
Android Police described the Focus Friend bean as an "accountability partner": "It was just there, quietly knitting, relying on me not to mess things up. There was no judging or annoying notifications." The reviewer found that "instead of battling my own willpower, I felt like I was keeping a promise to something outside myself."
The Reward System
Earn cute rewards for staying focused
Socks - Free for Everyone
Every completed focus session earns you socks. The longer you focus, the more socks your bean knits!
Sock Earning Rate:
Approximately 1 sock per minute of focused time. Deep Focus Mode may earn bonus socks!
Scarves - Pro Feature
Focus Friend Pro subscribers earn scarves in addition to socks. Scarves are worth more and unlock premium decorations.
Pro Benefits:
Earn scarves, access exclusive decorations, and support independent artists who create the app's content.
Quick Answers
How many socks do you get per minute in Focus Friend?
You earn about 1 sock per minute of focused time. Complete a full session without interrupting your bean to get the full amount; Deep Focus Mode can sometimes give bonus socks.
What is Deep Focus Mode on Focus Friend?
Deep Focus Mode blocks chosen apps during your timer using your phone's Screen Time. If you open a blocked app, your bean gets sad and you may earn fewer rewards. You control which apps are blocked.
Decorate Your Bean's Rooms
Turn your earned socks into a beautiful home
Living Room
The starting room with cozy furniture, plants, and decorations.
Kitchen
Unlock cooking-themed items and food decorations for your bean.
Bedroom
A peaceful sleeping area for your bean—unlock with socks or scarves. Beds, nightstands, and cozy bedroom themes.
Focus Friend has three rooms now; more may be added in future updates.
Choose Your Focus Friend Bean
Multiple bean types and bean names for your Focus Friend
Coffee Bean
Edamame Bean
Pinto Bean
Kitty Bean
Hank Bean
John Bean
Black Bean
Fava Bean
Give your Focus Friend bean a name—it makes the accountability feel real. Users pick names like Garbanzo, Eda, Susan Bean Anthony, or Billie Bean King. Bean names in Focus Friend are just for you; there's no right answer, just whatever makes you want to show up for your bean.
Tips and Ways to Use Focus Friend
Get more from your Focus Friend bean timer
Work and study
Many users use the Focus Friend bean timer for work or study in 30- to 60-minute blocks. Limiting focus time to your workday helps keep the habit sustainable and makes the bean a clear "work buddy."
Movies and intentional time
Hank Green has said he uses Focus Friend to watch movies without picking up his phone—so the Focus Friend pomodoro idea isn't only for work. Any activity you want to do without scrolling can get a session.
Background music
You can keep background music playing when the app is closed: in Focus Friend go to Settings, then Sound, and turn on "Play Music When App is Closed."
Start small
If long sessions feel hard, start with 15- or 20-minute Focus Friend bean timer sessions. Building the habit matters more than length at first.
Why the Bean Timer Actually Works
It's not just cute - it's backed by psychology
Emotional Accountability
Responsibility to your bean feels more significant than responsibility to yourself. You don't want to let your cute companion down!
Perfect Gamification
The reward system is just right - not overwhelming, not boring. Each session feels meaningful without being stressful.
Visual Progress
Watching your bean knit creates a satisfying visual representation of your focus time. You can literally see your progress!
Flexible & Kind
Unlike harsh blocking apps, Focus Friend is gentle. Your bean may be sad if interrupted, but always hopeful for the next session.
Start Your Bean Timer Journey
Download Focus Friend today and meet your new productivity companion!