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Hardcore Focus is an iPhone app blocker and focus timer. Answers below match the app that ships today.
Getting Started
Three tabs. Shield blocks the apps you choose with Apple Screen Time. Focus is a dial — tap it, work a session toward a daily goal. Habits are routines that can auto-complete from Apple Health. There is no task list and no calendar to manage.
No. Two hours is the default daily goal, based on deep-work practice, but you can change it in settings. Start where you will actually finish, then raise it.
iPhone (iOS 26+), with an Apple Watch companion app. iPad runs the iPhone app. There is no dedicated macOS or Android version.
Features & Usage
It uses Apple's native Screen Time (Family Controls) API. No VPN, no proxy, no third-party account. You pick apps or categories to block on a schedule, during a focus session, or always on. Apple limits a Screen Time blocker to 100 apps at once. See the iPhone app blocker comparison.
Two modes. No Bypass — locked is locked. 15-minute bypass — a real timed unlock, then the shield comes back. There is no AI that argues with you.
Usually, yes. Screen Time blockers depend on a permission you granted, so Settings → Screen Time can turn that permission off. Hardcore Focus cannot stop you from deleting the app or revoking Screen Time if you are determined. A physical tag like Brick is stricter on that axis.
A daily ritual to end the workday: capture loose ends, glance at what's ahead, review habits, then hold to complete the shutdown. It is there for mental closure, not another dashboard.
Stack habits into routines by time of day. Check them off, count reps, or run a timed habit. Habits can auto-complete from Apple Health (workouts, walks, mindful minutes). Health access is optional and read-only.
Subscriptions & Billing
No. Hardcore Focus is a hard paywall: a subscription unlocks the full app. There is no Free vs Pro split. The annual plan includes a 7-day free trial.
$3.99 / week, $8.99 / month, or $49.99 / year (7-day free trial on annual). Prices are USD via the App Store and may vary by storefront. Cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.
Billing is handled entirely by Apple. Subscriptions renew unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends. Refunds go through Apple (reportaproblem.apple.com).
Privacy & Data
We collect zero data. There is no account and no backend. Focus sessions and habits stay on your device. Optional iCloud sync goes through your iCloud account — we never see it. On-device insights use Apple Intelligence on the phone.
Screen Time (required for blocking). Optional: Notifications, Health, Apple Music (focus playlists). Decline anything you do not want.
No. There is no sign-up. Sign into iCloud on the device if you want sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Troubleshooting
Settings → Screen Time → turn on App & Website Activity. Then open Hardcore Focus and grant Screen Time / Family Controls access. Blocking only works on a real device, not the Simulator. If you revoked access in Settings, grant it again inside the app.
Streaks require hitting your daily focus goal. A missed day resets the current streak. If the goal is too high to keep, lower it in settings — consistency beats a heroic target you skip.
Use the same iCloud account on every device, keep iCloud Drive on, and confirm Hardcore Focus is enabled under Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud. Sync is through your iCloud account, not a Hardcore Focus server.
iOS refreshes widgets on its own schedule. Open the app to force a refresh, or remove and re-add the widget. Enable Background App Refresh for Hardcore Focus.