ZenPomo vs Podoro

Struggling to start your work because of "just 5 more minutes" on social media? This app fixes the hardest part of productivity: getting started. This is not just another simple timer. It’s a strict focus manager that physically blocks your most distracting apps (like TikTok or Instagram) the moment your Pomodoro session begins. No workarounds, no mindless scrolling — just deep, uninterrupted work. FEATURES: Strict App Blocking: Select your most distracting apps and automatically lock them away during your focus sessions. Minimalist Pomodoro Timer: A clean, distraction-free interface to manage your work and break intervals. Secure & Private: Everything happens directly on your device. We don't see, track, or collect your app usage data. Seamless Sync: Your progress and settings are automatically backed up to your iCloud. Take your time back and build a bulletproof focus habit today! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Your break was supposed to be five minutes. It's been forty. Podoro is a focus timer that holds up both ends of the deal. It keeps your distracting apps closed while you work — and when the break is over, it pulls you back with an alert you can't quietly ignore, one that sounds through silent mode and Focus. Most timers politely count down and hope you're paying attention. Podoro assumes you aren't. HOW IT WORKS Set your focus length, break length, and how many cycles you want. Choose the apps and websites that derail you. Start. Those apps stay closed for the whole focus block. Focus ends — an unmissable alert hands you your break, and your apps come back. Break ends — the same alert puts you back to work, and the apps close again. Repeat until the session is done. Your streak and focus minutes update on their own. WHAT'S INSIDE • Focus and break lengths — common presets, or any custom number of minutes • App and website blocking through Apple's own Screen Time picker • A live countdown in the Dynamic Island and on your Lock Screen, so you always know where you stand without opening the app • Phase-change alerts that cut through silent mode and Focus, so a break can't quietly turn into an afternoon • A calm block screen — it tells you how much time is left and gets out of the way, instead of scolding you • Daily streak, focus minutes, and a simple session history CALM, NOT PUNISHING Podoro isn't a digital prison. You choose what gets blocked, you choose when to start, and you can end a session early when you genuinely need to. The goal isn't to trap you — it's to add just enough friction that reaching for the wrong app becomes a decision instead of a reflex. ABOUT SCREEN TIME ACCESS Podoro uses Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) API to close the apps you pick during a focus block. Your selections never leave your iPhone. Podoro has no account, no sign-up, no tracking, and no analytics — it cannot see which apps you use or what you do in them. Everything stays on your device. REQUIREMENTS Requires iOS 26 or later. Podoro's unmissable alerts are built on AlarmKit, which Apple introduced in iOS 26. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/