Be Focused Pro - Focus Timer for PC and Mac

Software Reviews and Criticism

• By mymandarin

  Nice App with One Wish

  I like the way this app works (Windows OS), and how it tucks away neatly while you're working. It's easy to set up and easy to use. I do wish I could edit intervals on the fly, though. I'm a busy mom with several types of work on my plate every day. Sometimes I'm setting out to work on something (writing specifically) based on the amount of time I have available, rather than an ideal schedule of X intervals of X minutes each. I have an ideal schedule set up in the app - e.g., 8 intervals of 20 minutes each - but more than half the time that's not how my day looks. If I sit down with 18 minutes to work, or 35, I can't edit the interval for a one-time session without going into settings and modifying the entire schedule, which I then have to change again next time. It would be nice to have a default schedule in settings, but be able to modify the length of the current interval on the fly. Also, if I work for 18 out of 20 minutes and have to stop, it won't record that interval correctly. The only options are to let it run to 20 or "skip" entirely, so I can't get an accurate accounting of my time later. (I sometimes track my words written per hour in a spreadsheet, so the little differences matter there.) Overall, great product, but for my needs I'd love some adjustments!

  
  
• By LadyBeansBeans

  Keeps me going

  Bought Pro during a sale after used basic for years. Worth the price for keeping myself synced across phone and work/home computers. I habituate quickly to the reminder notifications, so the most useful notification setting combo for me is 1) the persistent banner notification that doesn’t disappear from my desktop plus 2) having to manually restart the timer for each next interval. I adjusted the total intervals to a goal I’m likely to achieve even with a few interruptions and made realistic break intervals. Eventually I have learned to check for the timer countdown consistently throughout the day and I’m happy to get the note that I’ve achieved my target more often. Seriously, it’s so much easier to stay on task when you can look and see you have a break coming in a few minutes! I also have to make myself take the breaks to get up and move around, which seems odd but - again - trains my body to be truly ON when it’s time and completely relax when it’s break time.

  
  
• By zmoneyg

  It's part of my routine

  I consistently use this to get work done and feel good about it. I love that I can set a goal of completing a certain number of intervals a day, I love the stats it gives me, and it has made me a more consistent worker (since I usually work best under pressure and thus procrastinate). When I started using this in college, along with Focus Matrix, I started acing my classes where before I was a B and C student. I was already motivated to change of course which is why I downloaded the apps, but they have helped me so much in being more consistent, and they're an integral part of my daily routine now. I tried apps that block distracting websites but I felt like I was being punished or being my own not-fun parent. With this, it's positive reinforcement, and I can look back and be proud of the time I've put into my work.

  
  
• By BradTheCoder

  Decent but lacks a few niceties on the desktop.

  I use Be Focused Pro daily, both on my iPhone and Windows. I find the Windows version more convenient, since most of my work is at the computer, but I'm glad for the phone version syncing with it when I'm on the run or planning. As a timer with reporting, Be Focused is great. Type in what you're working on, press the "Play" icon to start, and get to it. It even has modest time-tracking capabilities, a report of intervals worked and CSV export if you want to geek out your analysis. It's one of this well-scoped apps that doesn't try to do too much and would suffer bloat if it added every user suggestion. Nevertheless, I find myself wishing for a few tweaks to make it more useful in my workflow. 1. Better keyboard control in the ToDo view. ToDo view offers a great place to sketch out a day. It would be nicer if I could collect ideas quickly from the keyboard without having to bother my mouse. A shortcut key to add a new task would be enough. Being able to arrow up and down between tasks and, perhaps, Enter to edit, Shift-Enter to start working, would be bonus. Ability to cut and past, even more so. 2. A persistent dialog (similar to Focus List). Be Focused Pro tucks away nicely in the menu bar--sometimes a little too nicely. There are times I want to look at a list of tasks while I'm in another app, but Be Focused Pro hides itself any time you click out of its dialog box. I've suggested these features to their support.

  
  

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