Caffe — building FocusPause

Indie iOS developer building FocusPause. Sharing what I learn about mindless scrolling, calmer interventions, and shipping a small app.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

I kept opening apps without really deciding to.

By the time I noticed, I was already scrolling.

So I built FocusPause: a small pause before distracting apps open — enough time to remember why I picked up my phone.

Building it independently for iPhone.

https://t.co/qtUqpQpZNP

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@deepakbuilds_ Thank you — I honestly refreshed App Store Connect a few times just to make sure it was real 😭 How close are you to shipping yours?

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

Someone paid actual money for the little iOS app I spent months building.

My first paying user.

It’s only one sale, but it suddenly made the whole thing feel real — and made me feel responsible for making FocusPause better.

Still a tiny app. But this one meant a lot to me.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@hzlzh 为何会失败的呢？ 没碰到过

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@Nkatiiey_T I don’t think I’ve cured it 😭 I just started making the first tap slightly annoying. Turns out a tiny pause works better for me than deleting everything and reinstalling it two days later — which is basically why I built my app.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@Straying_mind Mine got so personal I built an app just to stop opening other apps on autopilot. A perfectly normal response to being judged by a weekly report.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@he4rtgoId the worst part of reading on your phone is looking exactly like you’re not reading

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

FocusPause got 4 downloads in 7 days, so I’m trying something different.
I’m opening 5 spots: help 3 new iPhone users set it up and try one real pause, and you’ll get Lifetime VIP.
No reviews or promo posts. Just real use.
Interested? Reply “in” and I’ll send the details.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@Aphextwinkies honestly, two intentional hours with a movie feels healthier than 40 accidental minutes bouncing between five apps 😭 has the swap actually been working?

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@willow_kert the worst part is genuinely wanting to do it and still somehow being stuck 😭 does making the first step ridiculously small ever help, or does your brain just find a new loophole?

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@bacontids this sounds like the kind of peace I’d immediately ruin by checking one notification 😭 what actually made the lower screen time stick?

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@aloyxwrites leaving the phone at home is annoyingly effective 😭 I built a whole app around adding a pause before distracting apps open, and apparently the unbeatable competitor is still just… forgetting the phone. did you actually enjoy it, or keep reaching for it anyway?

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@kenziesversion good enough for me, Fortnite is wellness now 😭

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@max_gagliardi @modretro for mobile games I’m trying a slightly less sadistic version — I built FocusPause to add a pause before they open. old games still win on rage-quit efficiency though 😭

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

AI didn’t help me finish work earlier.
It just convinced me I had time for three more tasks.

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@Skott203213 bedtime is apparently just doomscrolling with the lights off

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@rnostardently nothing exposes your own phone habits faster than watching someone else do the exact same thing 😭

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@dontdoitdani you might like FocusPause — I built it to add a quick pause before apps like TikTok open. probably would’ve caught this detour at minute zero instead of minute 30 😭

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@kissedbyevie the weekly report is starting to sound less like analytics and more like an intervention

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@StarDeviation my brain saw three good options and somehow chose the fourth, worst one

[Caffe — building FocusPause @Caffe_dell]

@olivi4na this is less a detox and more a platform transfer 😭