# Emphasis: Flow & Focus Timer — user reviews > 1,107 indexed App Store user reviews of Emphasis by Aleksandr Fiodorov, rated 4.70/5 from 1,058 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emphasis-flow-and-focus-timer/id733300214.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 886 · 4★ 94 · 3★ 23 · 2★ 13 · 1★ 42 ## What do users think of Emphasis? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Minimalistic and simple design - 👍 Customizable timer settings - 💡 Helpful for productivity and focus - 🚀 Sleek and intuitive interface - 👍 Visually appealing countdown timer - 👍 Useful for students and professionals **Cons** - 🔒 Subscription model required for full features - 🐛 Sync and login issues - 🐛 Bugs and crashes after updates - 🔋 Battery drain issues - 🐛 Unreliable notifications and alerts **Commonly reported bugs** - Timer not working correctly after breaks - Task lists not saving properly - App crashing on launch for some users - Sync issues causing data loss **Most requested features** - Ability to track individual tasks and time spent - Landscape mode support - Apple Watch app integration - More color theme options - Improved statistics and progress tracking ## Newest reviews (13 of 1,107) ### 3/5 — Getting worse with every update *2026-03-24, version 10.5.0* First - the single tap was broken. And it took some time to find out that it can be changed back in the settings. Why don’t leave it as it is and just add a new setting for a new feature such as long press? Why break user experience. Second - some “cheering” (but I would rather say annoying) notifications were added. And it’s not even possible to disable them. ### 4/5 — need more improvement *2026-03-08, version 9.2.1* love the simplicity of the app but have a small request: may we allow longer timeline for the study hours history section on the left? I can only access my history of study hours within 2 months but I also want to check my study hours happened a year ago. Shamely it cannot be shown.... ### 4/5 — Love it *2026-01-20, version 10.0.1* But please fix iOS app, it still has lot of bugs that weren’t there before ### 4/5 — Unable to mute and its under paywall *2026-01-16, version 10.0.1* Was very good but now with this mandatory sound can’t go ahead. Sorry to leave this wonderful app. Now to mute Is under Pay wall. ### 2/5 — What’s happened to Emphasis? *2026-01-05, version 10.0.0* I’ve paid for the Emphasis app since late 2023. I dearly wish I could continue using it as I loved its simplicity, but it’s become oddly prescriptive and less customisable. Such a pity. I don’t want soundscapes playing, but apparently they can’t be turned off. It’s no longer possible to insert time of day periods. The app now feels rigid and programmed according to a single user’s preference. ### 3/5 — Do not like the latest design *2025-12-29, version 10.0.0* The design is getting more and more unclear… it’s becoming very hard to visualise how many hours you spent on doing certain work in certain weeks or months and you cannot see month on month easily… and if you want to see what you did in previous month, you have to click 5 times more than before to locate the study hours…. Also I don’t seem to find any way to tailor the colour or sounds of the profile . I have used this app for more than 2 years and its design is getting worse and worse. I regret paying for the membership. ### 3/5 — Good but could be better *2025-12-27* Pros : you can see timings of sessions, access stats and see your time spent across projects over weeks/months Cons : startup time ( when you click to start the app) takes unacceptable long for no reason even on an IPhone 16Pro. This means if I go to start another session the app will take ages to start, so now there's a 5 minute gap between back to back sessions for no reason. ### 2/5 — Не прогружается подписка, хотя она оформлена. Все стопорится на бесплатных 25 минутах. *2025-12-21, version 10.0.0* Оформила подписку сразу на год с неделей пробного доступа. Но почему-то приложение не запомнило, что у меня подписка, и просит апгрейд тарифа. Хотя само по себе приятное и продуманное приложение по интерфейсу, звукам, таймеру, впечатление ухудшилось. ### 2/5 — Used to be great but has gone downhill *2025-11-26, version 9.3.1* All of the useful features have been made premium features, the layout seems to change almost daily making it difficult to use and access. ### 4/5 — Feedback on Missing Features *2025-11-13* The app is great! I’d like to suggest adding a few features such as the ability to pause the timer from the notification center and a widget to view the current day’s status ### 2/5 — Conflicts with Apple Music *2025-06-01, version 9.2.4* The functionality is fine but messes up with Apple Music and does not display correctly on Apple Watch ### 3/5 — Apple Watch Live Activity *2025-05-21, version 9.2.4* Should implement the live activity on the apple watch as well as widgets. Also when starting a session from the watch it doesnt enable the live activity on the iphone even if you open the app ### 4/5 — REQUIRED UPDATE *2025-03-20, version 9.2.4* The app works perfectly well, kudos to the devs! Btw there are two very much needed feature on the app.. 1) Once you are in focus mode, there should be restriction to use any other app except the whitelist apps 2) All the data should automatically sync to the iPhone Calendar app… please do this, thank u ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — theres a bug *2026-06-17, version 10.6.0* The app appears to have a localization/UI bug: instead of displaying proper labels and questions, it shows raw internal translation keys (e.g. “onboarding_v2.questions.focusAreas.question”), making the onboarding process unusable. Because of this issue, I’m unable to complete the setup or use the app properly. ### 1/5 — The new update is extremely glitchy *2025-12-24* The app was so beautiful and functional before but now after the sonic sounds or whatever update I’m not able to properly clock in a single session; after I long press the timer the screen freezes, I can’t do anything or tap at anything or go to settings or pause the timer. Also one other very annoying design flaw is that when I want to look at yesterday’s focus situation I can only see my respective sessions but there is no place that shows the total time I focused for, on a specific day, say 18th November, I can’t see the total hours focused, I can only see the different sessions; what is the point of that? If I can’t even see how much total time I studied for (that’s what I use this app for) on a specific day? **Developer response:** Hey, thank you for reaching out! sorry for the bug with the long tap crash. I'm working on the fix, it will be available to you soon. In regards to total time stats in the day screen - you're absolutely right, I'm going to bring it back. ### 1/5 — app rovinata *2025-12-05, version 9.3.1* con l’ultimo aggiornamento avete rovinato l’app. perché non posso più personalizzare i focus e i break? Aggiornamento: app completamente inutile dato che non suona più la notifica della fine della sessione. Era difficile distruggere un’app così semplice, ma ci siete riusciti, complimenti! ### 1/5 — Simple App, Greedy Company *2025-10-02, version 9.2.4* I’m just going to cut to chase, this app is literally just a timer that reminds you to be productive. That’s it. There should be no reason you should be charging customers an inflated subscription model to use this app. I would understand if you reached out to an advertising agency to have ads put on and then do an ad removal tier or something simpler but a subscription to use an app that only reminds you to be productive is disgusting and lazy. I would understand if this app had ground breaking processes that change lives but as a software engineer myself, I can tell there is absolutely nothing under the hood that is remotely impressive. I encourage all to avoid this application and spending money on subscription models. ### 1/5 — Pricing too high *2025-09-27, version 9.2.4* I love the app but pricing especially for turkey is so bad that its almost impossible for anyone to pay eithee for full version or subscription. I have told before hopefully you actually implent a proper regional pricing so i can buy this amazing app ### 1/5 — Where is the support? *2025-06-09, version 9.2.4* It says “how about a discount” and it keeps taking me back to onboarding flow!!! I’m already a premium user and the support email in the app doesn’t even work!!! ### 1/5 — App is not working *2025-05-07, version 9.2.4* Hello, I am having problems with the app. I have been using it for a year and a half to record how much I have learned in each month. Now all the hours have disappeared since yesterday and the app can no longer be used, which means that new hours cannot be entered and even when the timer is over, it still says 0:00 hours. I paid 30 euros for the annual subscription, which is a lot, and I expect to be able to use the app normally. Under these circumstances, please fix the problem or refund my money. I tried to contact you unter the email, but unfortunately the delivery failed, mail not found. ### 1/5 — Schlampig programmiert. *2025-03-13, version 9.2.2* Ich verstehe nicht, wie es eine App schon so lange geben kann, ohne zuverlässig zu funktionieren. Ich habe die App schon seit Jahren immer mal wieder genutzt, auch Premium. Es sind immer wieder neue Bugs drin und Daten verschwinden einfach. Dieses Mal hat es mir plötzlich meinen aktuellen Timer gelöscht und durch einen alten ersetzt. Absolut schlecht für 15€/Jahr, dafür dass es nur ein fehlerhafter Timer ist. 👎 ### 1/5 — 왜 계정삭제가 안되나요 *2025-03-12, version 9.2.2* 해결시급해욜 해결되면 리뷰 고칠게요 ### 1/5 — You don’t love night workers *2025-02-07, version 9.2.2* Still no options to work after 23:00 without stats break ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Problem After last update *2026-02-07, version 10.2.0* It stopped auto starts for breaks and focus session, even though u keep this on in settings. ### 5/5 — Great tool from a great app *2026-02-05, version 10.2.0* I really want to express how helpful this app has been to let me focus. I wouldn’t have imagined that tracking my focus and the time i invested in things, could relived my anxiety and make me more comfortable, aware and confident in my abilities and effort. Im truly greatfull for thi amazing app and also for the wonderful designe, which my seem irrelevant for the functionality of the app, but it makes it more smooth and enjoyable to use. ### 5/5 — I have updated but there is the bug still alive *2026-01-15, version 10.0.1* Idk why but it works good in ipad, but in iphone, the bug is not fixed. Still it shuts down when i open the settings menu, and all of the texts are come out like “calendar.weekdays.full.blahblah~”. And this bugs is annoying me almost a week. I have reinstalled it multiple times and even i have tried to downgraded the ios from 26.3(dev version) to 26.2. But it still remains. Please fix it. This is my fav app. Due to this bug, i can’t focus on my study well. ### 5/5 — Been using this for a couple of years, love the minimalistic approach and simplicity *2025-12-03, version 9.2.1* Love it! ### 5/5 — Best. Really. *2025-11-18, version 9.3.0* Best. ### 5/5 — Can be better *2025-07-19, version 9.2.4* Very good sync between apple devices, but please add Apple Watch infograph's complication as well. Thanks ### 5/5 — The best *2025-07-06, version 9.2.4* You get to keep track of productivity without being boxed in by time blocking. The perfect balance of flow and productivity!! ### 5/5 — Almost perfect *2025-06-13, version 9.2.1* Love this simplicity and productivity. But still 2 things I really want. 1. Menu bar icon support. Great if it has timer counting with it. 2. Play sound or music during cycle. When sound stop, it means the cycle end. Now I really miss sound or notification when it ends. ### 5/5 — The price is crazy *2025-04-07, version 9.2.4* It’s a good app and I like it, but the price is ridiculously high. I can't imagine how the developer came up with such a pricing policy. It’s cheaper to buy whole GTA 5 than this little timer, which is made by one person! Rethink your pricing and more people will pay you ### 5/5 — Best minimal focus timer. *2025-01-17, version 9.2.2* The best. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*