Your phone wasn't designed to let you focus. Helm was.
Most focus apps fail because they're too easy to disable. One tap and you're back to doom-scrolling. Helm is different. It uses a physical device you keep away from your desk, so you can't just tap your way out of focus mode.
When you want to focus, tap your Helm. When you're done, tap it again. No willpower required.
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**HOW IT WORKS**
1. Create a mode: choose which apps to block
2. Start a session from the app or by tapping your Helm
3. Distracting apps are blocked instantly
4. Tap your Helm to end when you're done
That's it. Simple by design.
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**APP LIMITS**
Set daily limits on apps outside of focus sessions:
• 30 minutes of Instagram per day
• 10 opens of Twitter
• 1 hour of TikTok
Hit your limit and the app blocks until tomorrow. Choose your enforcement level from Casual to Locked.
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**HEALTH GOALS**
Make screen time earn-able. Set step or exercise goals that must be completed before limited apps unlock:
• Walk 5,000 steps to unlock Instagram
• Complete 30 minutes of exercise to access TikTok
• Hit your daily move goal before checking email
Connect to Apple Health and turn movement into your unlock key. Your health data stays on your device and is never uploaded anywhere.
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**UNLOCK CONDITIONS**
End focus sessions on your terms. Set requirements to unlock:
• Tap your Helm
• Complete a minimum session time
• Hit your step goal
• Finish your workout
Stack conditions or keep it simple. Your focus, your rules.
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**BLOCK WHAT DISTRACTS YOU**
Choose which apps to block during focus sessions. Social media, games, news, dating apps, whatever pulls you away from what matters. Helm uses Screen Time on iOS to block apps at the system level. No workarounds.
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**FOCUS MODES**
Create different modes for different contexts:
• Deep Work: block everything except essentials
• Writing: allow music, block everything else
• Meetings: block social media only
• Wind Down: block stimulating apps before bed
Switch modes with a single tap.
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**SCHEDULES**
Automate your focus. Set recurring schedules that block apps automatically:
• Weekday mornings for deep work
• Evenings for family time
• Weekends for digital detox
Your apps block on schedule. No decision fatigue.
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**BREAKS & LIFELINES**
Need a quick break during a session? Take one. Helm includes built-in breaks so you can step away without ending your session.
Need emergency access to a blocked app? Use a lifeline. Limited uses keep you honest, but you're never truly stuck.
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**GUARDIAN MODE**
For those who need extra accountability. Guardian Mode locks your settings behind a PIN, with Face ID optional. You can't change blocked apps, disable schedules, or reduce limits without it.
Give the PIN to your partner or a friend, or set it up on your kid's phone and keep the PIN yourself. Your future self will thank you.
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**STATISTICS**
Track your progress:
• Daily focus time and sessions
• Weekly trends and streaks
• Monthly insights
• Lifetime focus hours
See how your habits change over time.
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**WHY A PHYSICAL DEVICE?**
Because the hardest part of focus isn't starting. It's not stopping.
Every other app can be disabled with a few taps. Helm can't. The physical barrier creates just enough friction to make you pause and ask: "Do I really need to check this right now?"
Usually, the answer is no.
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**WHAT'S INCLUDED**
The app is free to download and includes basic features. Full functionality requires a Helm device (sold separately at focushelm.com).
Some features work without the device. App Limits and Health Goals can be used standalone.
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Take back your attention. One tap at a time.
Helm is legit. Really like the app. And the physical piece has substantial, aerospace-brass weight. The kind of heft that makes you take it seriously. It doesn't feel like a gadget or a gimmick. It feels like a tool that belongs on your desk for the next decade. The tactile quality is genuinely beautiful. Something you want to pick up and hold.And that matters. Lots of things other focus solutions feel disposable. Helm feels like a commitment. You don't toss something this well-made in a drawer.You buy this thing for a family member as a gift, and you feel good about it.Their packaging says it perfectly: "In a world engineered to fragment your attention, Helm is your physical boundary."That's the bet I'm making. Not that an app will save me (but this app is delightful to use) but that a physical object with heft might create the ritual I need. The early signs are good.If you've tried the software approaches and they haven't stuck, this is a fundamentally different category of thing.
Biggest improvement in my life this year
Nishant Jayant
I've tried apps and other things to break phone addiction, but something about Helm just stuck. I use it and shut off my phone at 9:30 p.m. every day, and I'm forced to actually use the hardware to unlock it every morning. You fall to the level of your system, so this forces me to go to sleep early and not start my day doomscrolling.The design of the hardware feels it feels great in my hands. I love the UI of the app. occasionally I run into bugs, but the team is super responsive and has A+ customer service
Beauty and function
TotallyJwD
I pre-ordered the Helm when it was first announced, and it’s become a small but meaningful part of my daily setup.I really like the physical device — the mix of materials and the weight of it just feel good. I’ll sometimes hold it during calls because it helps me stay grounded and focused. It’s also just nice to look at — simple, solid, and well-made.The app feels really well thought out. The focus sessions, custom profiles, and the fact that you actually have to tap your phone to the device to end a session all make it feel intentional. It’s not overcomplicated, and I appreciate that there’s no subscription.Having it on my desk is a small reminder each day of the kind of focus and attention I want to bring to my work
I’m a fan!
jct_212
I am a world class procrastinator and don’t think anything would help. Helm actually DOES! The first time I used it I set myself for an hour but I didn’t bring the decide with me and ended up working 2.5 hours straight thru. Now I purposely leave home without it and I get so much done! The app has so many cool features no matter what your work style.
Home now tells you when a new version of Helm is ready, and a What's new sheet shows what changed after you update. If you end a manual session while a schedule is waiting, Helm asks before it starts the schedule. The sign-in and Reset Password screens have a new look and plain error messages, and Reset Password keeps the email you typed. The troubleshooting sheet and empty screens now match the rest of the app, and the NFC scan screen shows the right place to put your phone. After your third session Helm also tells you about Helm for Mac, and there is a Helm for Mac row in Settings.
Version 2.1.0
The developer, BestSelf Co, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Contact Info
Identifiers
Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
