Terrible Focus
A wholesome focus timer
Only for iPhone
Free
iPhone
Every app wants something from you. The potato just wants to build a home. Put your phone down and help them work.
Every app wants something from you. The potato just wants to build a home. They've found a clearing in the forest and need your help.
How It Works
The potato suggests two tasks. Do you want to "Build the Bed" or "Water the Garden"? Pick one. Set your timer anywhere from 5 to 120 minutes. Your phone locks.
While you focus on whatever you actually need to do, the potato works on what you picked. Every minute you focus is a minute they work.
When you come back, you see what was built. The potato tries out the new bed. Sits in the chair you made together. Uses the workbench.
The Potato Doesn't Die
Take a week off? The potato's fine. They don't get sad. They don't punish you. They're just there when you get back, wandering around, reading by the water, living their life.
Need to pause mid-session? Tap "Give me a minute." The potato takes a break too. Your life is allowed to exist.
The potato doesn't track streaks or compare you to other users. Coming back after a break feels like reuniting with a friend, not admitting defeat.
A World That Actually Lives
The potato wakes up with the sun. Works on projects. Gets tired. Sleeps at night. You can start a focus session at 2 AM and they'll wake up, ready to work.
The clearing changes too. Nature slowly reclaims the edges. Things get a bit messy and need tidying. It becomes more lived-in over time, not frozen in place.
This isn't a pet begging for attention. It's a companion who has their own thing going on but genuinely can't build without your focus.
Hand-Drawn, All of It
Every sprite, every animation, every element was drawn by hand. Hours at a drawing tablet, trying to make something that felt real.
You can tell a person made this. The roughness is intentional.
What Happens When You Finish
After a couple weeks of regular sessions, you'll finish the Home Pack. The clearing becomes a cozy, complete home. The last thing you build is a bridge that reveals a path leading somewhere else.
Want to see what's beyond? You can buy the next pack. Want to stay in the clearing? The home is complete. You can keep it tidy, spend time with the potato, or just be in the space you built together.
Who This Is For
You're tired of fighting your phone. Other focus apps feel like punishment. You want something wholesome that doesn't make you feel worse. Streaks give you anxiety. You need a tool that gets that you're human.
What This Isn't
This isn't a productivity tracker. Not a habit app. Not a virtual pet demanding you check in daily or it dies. Not gamification pretending to make focus fun.
It's just a place where putting your phone down feels like helping someone who needs you.
Apps want your attention, your data, your engagement.
The potato just wants to finish the table.
The potato got an upgrade! Our new home screen widget lets you start focus sessions with a single tap, and it shows when you're focusing. The potato also learned German (Hallo und Willkommen), so all text and dialogues are now available in both languages. Plus, we've smoothed out animations to make everything feel more delightful.
Let’s keep focusing.
The developer, Verena Ortlieb, 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 Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Verena Ortlieb
- Size
- 130.3 MB
- Category
- Productivity
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 26.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 26.0 or later.
- Languages
- English and German
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Verena Ortlieb