The Focus Timer in Sortifyd is designed to help you stay grounded, protect your time, and work with intention, one acorn at a time. Whether you're trying to concentrate on a work task, tackle a household chore, or simply build momentum on a slow day, the Focus Timer helps you bring calm and clarity to your schedule.
You can customize your focus and break durations, choose ambient sounds to match your energy, and link your session to a task all while tracking your progress over time.
Note: The Focus Timer is currently available only on iOS.
Opening the Focus Timer
To get started, tap the Focus Timer icon located in the top-left corner of the Lists tab.
This brings you to the main Focus Timer screen, where you can begin a session, link a task, view your progress, or adjust your settings.
Starting a Focus Session
On the Focus Timer screen, either:
Type in a task you’d like to focus on, or
Tap the
icon to pull in a task from one of your existing lists
(you’ll first choose a list, then a task).
Tap Start to begin your focus session.
The timer will continue running even if you leave the app or lock your screen. You’ll receive a notification when the session ends or when your next break begins.
Customizing Durations, Sounds & Flow
Tap the icon in the top-right corner of the Focus Timer to adjust:
Timer Durations
Focus session length
Short break and long break durations
How often to take a long break (e.g. after every 4 focus sessions)
Session Flow
Auto-start breaks after focus sessions
Auto-start the next focus session after a break
Option to keep the screen on while the timer runs
Sound & Audio
Enable or disable start and end chimes
Choose ambient sounds for both focus and break sessions (e.g. Deep Focus, Ocean Waves, Lo-Fi Break)
Pausing, Resetting, or Ending a Session
You can pause a session at any time by tapping the Pause button. To reset or end a session, tap Reset. Each time you complete a session, you’ll earn an acorn.
If you choose to reset the session before it's complete, you’ll see two prompts:
“End this focus session?”
Confirm that you want to discard your current session.“Did you complete this task?”
If you had entered or linked a task, you can optionally mark it as complete.
If you choose to mark it complete:
A confetti animation will appear
If the task came from one of your lists, it will be automatically checked off in the background
If it's a recurring task or habit, you’ll be briefly taken to confirm completion, then returned to the timer
A linked entry will be created in your Focus History, so you can revisit the original task later if needed
Tracking Progress
Focus Acorns (Daily Tracker)
At the bottom of the main timer screen, you’ll see your acorns gathered today. Tap this row to view your full Focus History.
Focus History
This shows each session by day — including:
Session duration
Any linked task
Completion status (✔️ for completed tasks,
for completed sessions)
If the task came from one of your Sortifyd lists, tapping on it will take you back to that list so you can view or update it easily.
Focus Summary
Tap the icon at the top to open your weekly or monthly Focus Summary.
You'll see charts for:
Acorns gathered (completed focus sessions)
Tasks completed during those sessions
Tap the date range at the top to filter by:
Current or previous week
Current or previous month
Last 3 or 6 months
Custom dates
Want a little extra motivation?
Tap your profile photo in the top right of the Focus Summary screen to view Focus Summaries for other members in your circle — a great way to stay inspired, encourage each other, or just quietly celebrate small wins together.
Quick Tips
Start with just one session to reset your focus
Try pairing the timer with a habit or morning routine
Experiment with different ambient sounds to match your mood
Don’t worry if you reset early — progress counts in many forms