Terrible Focus
Verena Ortlieb Productivity iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Terrible Focus is a free Productivity app for iPhone and iPad by Verena Ortlieb. Rated 5.0/5 from 1 ratings. Requires iOS 26.0. Updated October 19, 2026.
- Rating
- 5.0
- 1 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 40 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 19
- 2026 · v1.5
Screenshots
About Terrible Focus
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.
What’s new
Version 1.5 · Updated October 19, 2026
An update for the Moon, the stars, and the Duo. • iPhone Duo is (almost) here, and the potato is ready for it! Fold your phone into a tent and the outer display turns into a tiny desk clock, with the potato working away beside you. Unfold it, and there it is: the whole clearing, all at once, for the very first time. • The moon stays: every night it's in the sky at its real phase, waxing and waning with the one outside. • Not ready to let Halloween go? The decorations, the mist and the orange fireflies now stay up after 31 October until you choose to take them down. The potato will suggest it on 1 November, and every few days after that.
App privacy
The developer, Verena Ortlieb, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Identifiers: Device ID
- Usage Data: Product Interaction
Used for: Analytics
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| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrible Focus | 5.0 / 5 (1 rating) | Free | October 19, 2026 | |
| Password Manager | Passkeys | – | Free | Sep 28, 2026 | Compare |
| Focus Bread: Pomodoro Timer | 5.0 / 5 (3) | Free | Oct 2, 2026 | Compare |
| Quackly: Your Focus Duck | 5.0 / 5 (3) | Free | Jul 24, 2026 | Compare |
| Focus Cat: Earn Screen Time | 4.0 / 5 (3) | Free | Aug 12, 2026 | Compare |
| FocusPal - Pomodoro Timer | 5.0 / 5 (3) | Free | Oct 15, 2026 | Compare |
| PeerPause: Screen Time Control | 5.0 / 5 (2) | Free | Oct 26, 2026 | Compare |
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