Foci is a free all-in-one focus system that combines a Pomodoro timer, task tracking, daily goals, streak stats, and built-in ambient music — everything you need to stay productive, in one window.

What is the Flowtime technique?

The Flowtime technique is a flexible focus method where you work until your concentration naturally fades, then take a break proportional to how long you worked (roughly 5 minutes per 25 minutes). Unlike Pomodoro's fixed 25-minute sessions, Flowtime adapts to your natural focus rhythm. Full guide: https://usefoci.com/blog/flowtime-technique-guide

What is the 52/17 rule?

The 52/17 rule is a focus technique where you work for 52 minutes followed by a 17-minute break. It's based on a 2014 Draugiem Group study that found top performers worked in ~52-minute bursts. Compared to Pomodoro (25/5), 52/17 allows deeper immersion but requires more sustained focus. Foci includes 52/17 as a built-in timer preset.

Flowtime vs Pomodoro: which is better?

Pomodoro is better for procrastination-prone tasks, studying, and when you need external structure. Flowtime is better for creative work, programming, or when you regularly enter flow states. Comparison guide: https://usefoci.com/blog/pomodoro-vs-flowtime-vs-52-17

Yes. Foci is completely free with no sign-up required. All data is stored locally in your browser. You can optionally create a free account to sync data across devices.

Can I use Foci without creating an account?

Absolutely. Click 'Try without account' on the homepage and start using Foci immediately. Your settings, tasks, and progress are saved locally in your browser.

Does Foci have ambient music?

Yes. Foci includes built-in ambient sounds like rain, café, white noise, and brown noise that work offline, plus optional lo-fi YouTube radio streams — perfect for getting in the zone.

Can I customize the timer durations?

Yes. Open the Settings panel to customize your work duration, break duration, and daily session goal to match your preferred workflow.

How does task tracking work?

Create tasks in the task list, organize them into projects, and select one before starting the timer. Foci automatically logs sessions and time spent per-task so you know exactly where your hours go.

Does Foci work offline?

Yes. Foci is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works fully offline. Your tasks, settings, and progress are stored in your browser's local storage. The built-in ambient sounds also work offline via the Web Audio API.

Can I use Foci on mobile?

Yes. Foci works in any modern mobile browser. You can also install it to your home screen on iOS or Android for a native app-like experience via the PWA install prompt.

How is Foci different from a simple Pomodoro timer?

A simple Pomodoro timer only counts down time. Foci combines a Pomodoro timer with per-task time tracking, daily session goals, streak tracking, built-in offline ambient music, motivational quotes, and optional cloud sync — all in one window. No tab-switching required.

Can I import tasks from Google Tasks, Todoist, Asana, or Notion?

Yes. Foci supports importing tasks from Google Tasks (JSON), Todoist (CSV), Asana (CSV), Notion (CSV), and any generic CSV file with a title column. Go to Settings → Import & Export Tasks to upload your file. Foci auto-detects the format and lets you preview before importing.

Can I export my tasks from Foci?

Yes. You can export all your tasks as JSON (for re-importing into Foci) or CSV (for use in spreadsheets or other apps) from the Settings panel under Import & Export Tasks.

What browsers does Foci support?

Foci works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge on desktop and mobile.

Does Foci have brown noise?

Yes. Foci includes a built-in brown noise generator that works completely offline using the Web Audio API. Brown noise is a deep, warm sound that's less harsh than white noise — ideal for long study sessions, deep work, and ADHD focus support. You can also use rain, café, and white noise sounds.

Can I use Foci for deep work?

Yes. Foci is designed for deep work sessions. Set your timer, pick a task, turn on ambient sounds like brown noise or rain, and focus without distraction. Foci tracks your sessions and daily goals so you can build a consistent deep work habit.

Smart Plan is Foci's built-in task scheduler. It analyzes your tasks, due dates, and daily session goals to generate a day-by-day execution plan. It prioritizes overdue and at-risk tasks, distributes work across days based on your capacity, and shows a clear schedule you can follow. No AI required — it’s a fast, algorithmic approach.

Can I organize tasks with project colors?

Yes. Each project in Foci can have a custom color, due date, and description. Color-coded dots appear on project tabs and in task lists for quick visual identification. You can also archive completed projects.

Can Stoic philosophy help with focus and productivity?

Yes. Stoic concepts map directly onto focus practice. The dichotomy of control reminds you that only your attention is fully in your control — not interruptions or notifications. Premeditatio malorum (premeditation of adversity) helps you plan for distraction before it happens. Memento mori reframes procrastination as squandering finite time. And amor fati encourages embracing the friction of deep work rather than resenting it. Foci's timer and task system support exactly this kind of intentional, values-driven focus.

What is premeditatio malorum and how does it help focus?

Premeditatio malorum is a Stoic practice of mentally rehearsing potential obstacles before starting a task. Applied to focus, it means asking before a work session: what will try to pull my attention away? Which distractions can I eliminate now, and how will I respond to the rest? This preparation removes the element of surprise and makes you far less likely to be derailed by interruptions.

Does Foci support recurring tasks?

Yes. You can set any task to repeat on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly schedule. When you complete a recurring task, Foci automatically creates the next occurrence with the correct due date so you never have to recreate it manually.

Can I set due dates on subtasks?

Yes. Each subtask can have its own due date, letting you break large tasks into deadline-tracked steps. Subtask due dates are factored into Smart Plan scheduling and the Today/This Week filters.

Can I move tasks between projects?

Yes. You can reassign any task to a different project directly from the task's edit menu. There's no need to delete and recreate — just pick the target project and the task moves instantly.

Does Foci have a calendar view?

Yes. Foci includes a calendar view where clicking a date automatically sets it as the due date for a new or existing task. It gives you a visual overview of deadlines across the month.

Does Foci have Indian classical music?

Yes. Foci includes curated Indian classical music playlists (sitar, flute, veena) via SoundCloud — ideal for long study sessions or deep work. You can switch between Indian classical, lo-fi, and ambient sounds.

Does Foci have task templates?

Yes. Foci includes one-click task templates for Morning Routine, Study Session, Dev Sprint, Writing Block, Meeting Prep, and Weekly Review. Each creates a set of pre-configured tasks so you can start immediately.

Does Foci have timer presets?

Yes. Choose from Classic Pomodoro (25/5), Short Sprint (15/3), Deep Work (50/10), 52/17 Rule, and Ultra Focus (90/20), or set custom durations.

What are the best ADHD focus tools?

Foci is designed to work with ADHD brains. Its timer externalizes time perception, task tracking removes the burden on working memory, brown noise provides sensory anchoring, and the daily goal system creates visible momentum.

What is the best music for studying?

Research shows the best study music is instrumental, predictable, and consistent volume. Brown noise and rain are ideal for deep reading and writing. Lo-fi hip-hop works for routine studying. Full guide: https://usefoci.com/blog/best-music-for-studying-and-focus

Is Foci better than Forest App?

Foci and Forest target different needs. Forest is a gamified focus app where you grow virtual trees — it's motivating but has no task tracking, no ambient sounds, and costs $1.99 on mobile. Foci is completely free and adds a full task manager, per-task time logging, daily goals, streak tracking, and built-in ambient sounds (rain, café, brown noise) alongside the timer. If you want a complete focus system rather than just gamification, Foci gives you more at no cost.

Foci vs Todoist: which should I use?

Todoist is a powerful task manager but has no built-in focus timer, ambient sounds, or session tracking. Foci is a focus system purpose-built for the work session itself — it combines a Pomodoro timer, task tracking, daily goals, and ambient music in one interface. They serve different roles: use Todoist if you need advanced project management (dependencies, filters, team features), use Foci if your priority is focused execution. You can also import your Todoist tasks into Foci via CSV.

Is Foci a good Focus@Will alternative?

Yes. Focus@Will is a paid music subscription ($9.99/month) with science-backed focus playlists but no task tracking or timer. Foci is completely free and includes built-in offline ambient sounds (rain, café, brown noise, white noise), curated Spotify playlists, SoundCloud Indian classical music, and lo-fi radio — plus a full Pomodoro timer and task manager. Most users find Foci's free sounds work just as well for focus.

What are the best Forest App alternatives in 2026?

The best Forest App alternatives in 2026 are: 1) Foci — best overall, completely free with timer, tasks, ambient sounds, and streaks; 2) Flora — best gamification with real tree planting; 3) Tide — best premium ambient soundscapes; 4) Be Focused — best native Mac/iOS timer; 5) Pomofocus — best minimalist web timer. Foci is the best choice if you want a complete focus system, not just gamified blocking.

What is the best free Pomodoro app in 2026?

The best free Pomodoro apps in 2026 include Foci (timer + tasks + ambient sounds, no account required), Pomofocus, Forest, Be Focused, and Toggl Track. Full ranked comparison: https://usefoci.com/blog/best-free-pomodoro-apps-2026

Can I collaborate with others on Foci?

Yes. Foci supports two types of collaboration: Account collaboration (invite team members to your entire account with viewer or editor roles) and Project collaboration (share specific projects with team members). Invites are managed via email with role-based permissions for secure team workflows.

How do collaboration invites work?

Send account or project collaboration invites by email from the collaboration settings. Recipients receive real-time notifications in their notification bell and can accept or decline invites. Account invites grant access to all projects based on the assigned role, while project invites are scoped to specific projects. All invites have expiration dates for security.

Does Foci have notifications?

Yes. Foci includes a notification bell that displays upcoming task reminders, overdue task alerts, and collaboration invite notifications with a badge counter. Click the bell icon to view all pending notifications and take immediate action on invites or tasks.

Focus system

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Pomodoro timer, tasks, session tracking, and ambient sound — designed to stay out of your way while you focus.

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How Foci works

Add your tasks

Create tasks, organize them into projects, and break them into subtasks. Pick one to focus on.

Start the timer

Hit play. Foci runs a focused work sprint, then gives you a break. Sessions are tracked per-task automatically.

Build your streak

Hit your daily session goal and watch your streak grow. Stats, charts, and a calendar show your progress over time.

More than just a countdown timer

A simple timer counts down and beeps. Foci gives you tasks, time tracking, ambient music, and streaks — so you actually stay focused and see your progress.