ByTime vs Do This First

Earn your screen time. Most screen-time apps work by taking things away. ByTime works by giving them back — but only when you've earned them. Focus for a few minutes, and minutes drop into your wallet. When you want to use Instagram, TikTok, or any app you've blocked, you spend from what you earned. No daily quotas. No willpower contests. No guilt afterwards. It's the simplest behaviour change there is: you can have it, you just have to earn it first. HOW IT WORKS 1. Pick the apps and websites you want to keep at arm's length. 2. Run a focus session. Three minutes, thirty minutes — your call. 3. Spend what you've earned. Tap the shield over a blocked app, choose how many minutes to spend, and it opens. When the minutes run out, the shield comes back. A WALLET, NOT A WARDEN Your earned minutes sit in a balance you can see at a glance. Carry minutes forward. Spend them on whatever you want, in whatever order you want. The app doesn't decide what's important — you do. A FOCUS SESSION YOU CAN LIVE WITH The session screen is dominated by a slow, ambient surface that breathes for as long as you focus — Aurora, Sunset, Observatory, and a handful of other shader-rendered backgrounds you can pick from. The timer is there when you need it, but it isn't the loudest thing on the screen. And the reward you're earning sits next to the time you have left, so the session is about what you're gaining, not just what you're spending. BUILT ON THE 8-8-8 BALANCE Eight hours of focus. Eight hours of reward. Eight hours of sleep. ByTime is built around the idea that a day works best when those three are in rough balance — and your screen time belongs in the reward eight, paid for by the focus eight. You set the daily targets; the wallet does the accounting. A REWARD, NOT A PUNISHMENT The earn-then-spend loop works the way brains actually respond to incentives: positive reinforcement instead of punishment, delayed gratification instead of impulse. You're not being scolded for picking up your phone — you're being paid for putting it down. PRIVACY THE WAY APPLE INTENDED ByTime is built on Apple's Screen Time APIs (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, DeviceActivity). Your usage data never leaves your device. We don't collect it, we don't see it, and we don't sell it. CALM, PREMIUM, INTENTIONAL Dark-first interface, tactile glass surfaces, fluid motion. ByTime is designed to feel like a well-made instrument — a tool you reach for, not one that scolds you. WHO IT'S FOR — Students who lose hours to TikTok between every study block and want their phone back on their own terms. — Anyone who's tried five blockers and felt punished by all of them. — Adults who want to spend less time scrolling and more time on what they actually planned to do. WHAT IT'S NOT — Not a parental control app. ByTime is built for self-management; you set your own rules. — Not a streak machine. There are no fires to lose, no badges to chase, no scoreboards. — Not a shame engine. The app never tells you you've used your phone too much. It just shows you what you've earned. Earn it. Spend it. Stop fighting your phone.

In a world designed to capture our attention, it may feel like a constant battle to focus on your work. Do This First is a focus tool built on a simple, powerful idea: your phone should help you achieve your goals, not distract you from them. The concept is simple. You decide on the essential tasks for your day and start a Focus Session. While the session is active, the apps you've marked as distracting are temporarily blocked. The only way to get them back is to complete your list. It’s an unbelievably easy way to finish things that matter. Prioritize The Important Instead of a never-ending to-do list, create a short list of what you need to accomplish right away. Prioritizing helps you stick with your commitment and kills procrastination. Create a Distraction-Free Space You have complete control over which apps and websites are off-limits during a session. By removing the temptation for a "quick check" of social media or news, you give yourself the freedom to concentrate fully on your work. Keep Your Tools Accessible Productivity isn't about blocking everything. Our Allowlist feature ensures your essential tools—like a calculator for homework, music for ambiance, or a note-taking app—remain available while everything else is shielded. See Your Discipline Grow Your effort deserves to be recognized. The Stats tab visualizes your progress, tracking your total sessions, average focus time, and helping you build motivational streaks. It’s a clear and satisfying look at how your habits are improving over time. Build Effortless Routines Use Scheduled Starts to automate your most important work blocks. Set up your "Weekday Study Period" or "Morning Writing Hour" once, and let the app automatically create your focused environment when you need it most. Get Smarter Reminders Enable Smart Notifications, and the app will learn your typical work patterns. It will send a timely, gentle nudge when it senses a good opportunity for you to start a productive session. Your goals are important. Download Do This First, and let's start making real progress on them, together.