# Oh Bother — Work from home with boundaries

> App for housemates to manage work-from-home interruptions with status indicators. (iPhone/iPad app by Daniel Gauthier.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oh-bother/id1511197431 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Daniel Gauthier](https://appshunter.io/developer/595544131)
- Category: Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.66/5 from 117 App Store ratings · 25 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 5 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2020-05-14
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oh-bother/id1511197431/reviews.md

## What is Oh Bother?

Oh Bother is a lovely little app all about helping you and your housemates avoid poorly-timed interruptions when you're working from home together.

If you're working from home these days, and you've got family or roommates at home with you, you'll know that focus can be a little hard to come by. Oh Bother wants to help you and your housemates manage distractions a little bit better by giving everyone in your house a quick way to indicate whether or not they currently want to be bothered. 

Here's how it works:

• Set your status to either "botherable" or "unbotherable".
• Put your status on a timer; it'll flip automatically when time is up, and you'll get a notification reminding you to switch gears.
• Provide context for your status by indicating that you're on the phone, taking a nap, going outside, etc.
• Meanwhile, get live info on your housemates' statuses, synced automatically through iCloud.
• Set notifications to let you know when a housemate's status changes, and time your distractions accordingly!

## Key features

- Set 'botherable' or 'unbotherable' status
- Timed status with automatic flipping
- Contextual status indicators (e.g., on phone)
- Live, iCloud-synced housemate statuses
- Notifications for status changes

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support Oh Bother | $2.99 | one-time |
| A generous tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| A hefty tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| A lavish tip | $4.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 25)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oh-bother/id1511197431/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Can’t get it to work

*2022-01-02, version 1.2.1*

I’ve tried four times to download this app. I create my name and then when I try to share my status, I get the error “Your iCloud is currently unavailable! To share your status, make sure that you're logged into iCloud, and that "iCloud Drive" and "Oh Bother" are both enabled in the iCloud section of your Settings app.” I am logged into iCloud, and it seems that both iCloud and the oh bother app are enabled.

### 1/5 — Down likes

*2021-11-03, version 1.2.1*

I couldn’t tell if it is a game or if it is real when I see it in the App Store

### 5/5 — Would be Great if…

*2021-07-16, version 1.2.1*

This app is just awesome! I mean the idea behind it and the way you executed the idea and made it a simple and functional app is magnificent.

Given the fact that you’re an IOS developer (based on a glimpse into your blog), I know it’s not really potential for us to have an Android version coming for it. It would’ve been just GREAT!

Since my housemate uses Android and I’m sure alotta other people having the same situation. Anyways, nice idea;

Keep up the good energy and mindset u have my friend.

### 5/5 — “Currently Logged Out of iCloud”

*2021-01-31, version 1.1*

I saw another review with this problem and even sent an email to get this issue fixed, but to no avail. I want to use this app as it would be beneficial for myself and my family, but I cannot use the features it offers without this problem being fixed. Will update review if I ever find a solution. 

**Update (1/31): I received a very kind email from Daniel who told me that I needed to have iCloud Drive toggled on for this to work. His words: “To check this, head to the Settings app, tap your name, tap “iCloud”, and check that both the “iCloud Drive” and “Oh Bother” switches are turned on.” That fixed the problem!!!**

### 5/5 — Great for communication tool for couples?

*2021-01-14, version 1.1*

Currently picked this app up to use with my current long distance partner to communicate during the day when we are busy and when we are free to talk and such. Takes the hassle out of creating and organizing a planner.

### 3/5 — Has Potential

*2021-01-03, version 1.1*

I like the UI and concept so much, I went ahead and made the one-time purchase to support :)  

So I have the latest app version 1.1 and after reading some of the reviews, I noticed I do not have the option to add custom status updates. App also says I’m signed out of iCloud but I checked my phone’s settings and I’m signed in. I’m confused.. maybe it’s a bug? When these issues are fixed and it’s working the way it’s advertised, I’ll happily change my review and the rating to 5 stars ✌🏼

**Developer response:** Hey, thanks for the thoughtful review, and sorry about the issues you're running into! If the app is saying you're signed out of iCloud, it's likely because your iCloud settings need to be tweaked — since the app uses iCloud to facilitate private sharing, I'm at the mercy of some quirks in how iCloud works. To resolve this, head to the Settings app, tap your name, tap “iCloud”, and check that both the “iCloud Drive” and “Oh Bother” switches are turned on. I'll definitely be making the app more helpful with this stuff in the future!

As for custom contexts: they're coming in 1.2, which will be out any day now! So stay tuned 📻

### 2/5 — Great Concept but Lacks Functionality

*2020-12-31, version 1.1*

Great concept. Advises whether or not you are “botherable” and for how long and why. However, if notifications could be sent to your followers that would be AMAZING! The app assumes people will look at your status. But, today who wants to spend extra time on another app? Set up a push notification and this immediately becomes a 5 star app.

**Developer response:** Hey, thanks for checking out the app! I've got some good news: Oh Bother actually does support notifications — if you tap the little bell icon next to any of your housemate's names, you can subscribe to get notified when their status changes 🥳

I appreciate the feedback though — I'll be looking to make this feature more obvious in the future.

### 4/5 — Great App I love the concept but

*2020-12-06, version 1.1*

only giving 4 stars because i’m confused on why we can’t have custom “context” options?

### 2/5 — Says “you’re currently logged out of iCloud”

*2020-11-30, version 1.1*

Even though I’m logged in to icloud in my settings it tells me I’m logged out when I try to share my status. Want to give this app more stars because it’s seems very useful right now but can’t justify it if it doesn’t work :/

**Developer response:** Hey, sorry about the issues you're running into! A few others are running into this as well. If the app is saying you're signed out of iCloud, it's likely because your iCloud settings need to be tweaked — since the app uses iCloud to facilitate private sharing, I'm at the mercy of some quirks in how iCloud works. To resolve this, head to the Settings app, tap your name, tap “iCloud”, and check that both the “iCloud Drive” and “Oh Bother” switches are turned on. I'll definitely be making the app more helpful with this stuff in the future!

### 5/5 — Great app, needs automation

*2020-08-19, version 1.1*

Love this app, great for setting boundaries in home. Would like to see some automation features such as scheduling i.e. botherable and then I botherable for a set times for a set number of intervals and definitely Shortcuts integration for a quick x minute toggle for instance!

## Frequently asked questions about Oh Bother

### What does Oh Bother do?

Oh Bother is designed to help people working from home with housemates avoid poorly-timed interruptions. It allows users to set their availability status, such as 'botherable' or 'unbotherable,' and provides real-time updates on housemates' statuses.

### How can I use Oh Bother to manage distractions?

You can set your status to 'unbotherable' when you need to focus, and even put it on a timer to automatically switch back. The app also lets you add context to your status, like 'on the phone,' and you can see your housemates' statuses to time your interactions accordingly.

### Is Oh Bother free to use?

Yes, Oh Bother is a free application. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating it is completely free for users.

### What devices is Oh Bother compatible with?

The app description mentions that statuses are synced automatically through iCloud. This suggests that Oh Bother is likely available on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) that support iCloud synchronization.

### What are some common use cases for Oh Bother?

Common use cases include preventing family members or roommates from interrupting during important work calls, focused work sessions, or when you simply need uninterrupted quiet time. It's also useful for coordinating breaks or shared household tasks.

## Version history (last 1 release)

### 1.2.1 — 2021-02-09

A new update is here, and it's long overdue! Here are two ways the app just got a lot better:

Custom contexts: If you're an Oh Bother Pro user, you can now create and manage your own contexts, rather than being limited to the baked-in options. Taking the dog for a walk? Reading a book? Studying for an exam? Let your housemates know exactly what you're up to.

Accessibility improvements: dynamic type is now properly supported, meaning Oh Bother will adjust to match your phone's font size in a really polished and elegant way. There's also a new "colourblind mode" that aims to make the app's colours more distinguishable to folks with various forms of colour blindness.

This update also comes with a few silly new app icons, and a bunch of bug fixes. 

As always, thanks for checking out Oh Bother, and don't hesitate to reach out if there are any features you feel are missing!

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## More apps by Daniel Gauthier

- [Up Ahead: Countdown Widgets](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/up-ahead-countdown-widgets/id1583147528)

All apps by Daniel Gauthier: https://appshunter.io/developer/595544131

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*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 2026-06-10.*