The 7 best apps to help you focus and block distractions in 2022

The 7 best apps to help you focus and block distractions in 2022 · Freedom (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome) · Serene (macOS, Windows "coming ... WhyZapier?HowZapierworksProducttourCustomerstoriesSecurityExplorePopularwaystouseZapierAppsthatworkwithZapierExploreZapierbyjobroleResourcesBlogReadtheZapierblogfortipsonproductivity,automation,andgrowingyourbusinessExpertsHireaZapierExperttohelpyouimproveprocessesandautomateworkflows.HelpcenterGethelpwithZapierfromourtutorials,FAQs,andtroubleshootingarticles.CommunityAskquestions,shareyourknowledge,andgetinspiredbyotherZapierusers.ZapierUniversityVideocoursesdesignedtohelpyoubecomeabetterZapieruser.WebinarsLearnaboutautomationanytime,anywherewithouron-demandwebinarlibrary.Teams&CompaniesZapierforTeamsShareandcollaborateonworkwithyourteaminZapier.ZapierforCompaniesManagemultipleteamswithadvancedadministrativecontrolsinZapier.PricingSearchapps…LoginSignupLoadingHomeApppicksBestapps7minreadThe7bestappstohelpyoufocusandblockdistractionsin2022ByJustinPot·October19,2021Ifindithardtogetworkdonewhilewatchingmovies,visitingthemeparks,orhangingoutwithmyfriends.SowhydoIthinkIcangetworkdoneonline?Automatehealthyworkhabitswiththese4workflowsFightburnoutYes,theinternetisaplacewhereworkhappens,butdistractionsarealwaysaclickaway.Youcouldsaythisisamatterofdiscipline,anditis,buttheoddsaren'tinyourfavor.Theinternetis,atthispoint,adopamineslotmachine.Thegreatestmindsofourgenerationareworkingaroundtheclockto"increaseengagement,"whichisatechtermthatmeans"doingeverythingpossibletogetyoutospendeverywakingmomentscrollingandlikingthings."Tryingtofightthiswithwillpoweraloneislikebringingawaterguntoathermonuclearwar.Whichiswhythere'snoshameinusingtoolstohelpyoubuilddiscipline.Thisiswheredistractionblockingsoftwareshines.Turnthesefocusappson,andyoucan'topenanythingdistracting—itwon'twork.Instead,you'llseeareminderthatyousetupsoftwaretoblockapps,andyou'llbeencouragedtogetbacktowork.It'soddlyliberating.Whatisafocusapp?HowweevaluateandtestappsAllofourbestappsroundupsarewrittenbyhumanswho'vespentmuchoftheircareersusing,testing,andwritingaboutsoftware.Wespenddozensofhoursresearchingandtestingapps,usingeachappasit'sintendedtobeusedandevaluatingitagainstthecriteriawesetforthecategory.We'reneverpaidforplacementinourarticlesfromanyapporforlinkstoanysite—wevaluethetrustreadersputinustoofferauthenticevaluationsofthecategoriesandappswereview.Formoredetailsonourprocess,readthefullrundownofhowweselectappstofeatureontheZapierblog.Don'tconfusewebsiteblockerappswithparentalcontrolsoftware—that'snotwhatthey'refor.No,thesetoolsareforyou,andtheyhopefullyhelpyoubuildbetterhabits.Weresearchedthiscategoryextensivelyandconsidereddozensofoptions,thenevaluatedthemagainstourcriteria.Wethinkthatthebestdistractionblockingappsshoulddothefollowing:Blockalistofwebsitesand/orapps(determinedbyyou)Allowyoutosetascheduleand/oratimerBeannoying(attheveryleast)todisableOfferencouragementInaddition,becausewe'rethinkingaboutwork,weonlyconsideredappsthatworkoncomputers—therearenomobile-onlytoolshere.Here'sthefocusingsoftwarewethinkworksbest.The7bestappstohelpyoufocusandblockdistractionsFreedomforblockingdistractionsonallyourdevicesatonceSereneforplanningandfollowingthroughondeepfocussessionsColdTurkeyBlockerforscheduledsystem-wideblockingLeechBlockNGforfreebrowser-basedwebsiteblockingRescueTimefortimetrackingwithbuilt-inwebsiteblockingForestformotivatingyoutoputyourphonedownSelfControlforanuclearoptionBestfocusappforblockingdistractionsonallyourdevicesatonceFreedom(Windows,macOS,iOS,Android,Chrome)Mostdistractionblockersworkonlyonwhateverdeviceyou'reusingrightnow.Freedomcanblockdistractions—bothwebsitesandapps—onallofyourdevices,simultaneously.NomoreblockingInstagramonyourcomputer,onlytoimmediatelyopenitonyourphone.Ifyoustartasession,yourdistractionsareblockedeverywhere.Setupasmanyblocklistsasyouwant,thenstartorscheduleasession.There'salockdownmode,whichmakesitimpossibletoedityourblocklistswhileasessionisactive—considerthatifyou'repronetoworkingaroundyourowngoodintentions.Therearealsooptionalfocussounds,whicharebasicallyambientbackgroundnoisefromcoffeeshopsornature.Thedownside:there'snolong-termfreeversion,onlyalimitedtrialthatletsyourunsixdistraction-freesessions.Thatshouldbeenoughtimetofigureoutifitwillworkforyou,though.Freedompricing:Premiumstartsat$6.99/month.BestfocusappforplanningandfollowingthroughondeepfocussessionsSerene(macOS,Windows"comingsoon")Sereneisn'tjustadistractionblocker:it'saproductivitysystembuiltaroundperiodsofdeepfocus.Userschoosealistofwebsitesandappstheyfinddistracting,thenblockthemwhenit'stimetobuckledownandgetsomeworkdone.Butthere'smorethanthathere.Theappisbuiltaroundplanningyourday.Listhowmanythingsyouwanttoworkonandhowlongthey'lltake.Then,whenit'stimetowork,clicktheGoSerenebuttontostartatimer.Allofyourdistractionswillbeblocked,optionalconcentrationmusicwillplay,andyou'llberemindedthatit'stimetofocusandshownyourcountdowntimereverytimeyoutrytoopenasitethatyoushouldn't.Theseelementsworkreallywelltogether—you'renotonlyblockingdistractions;you'realsoremindingyourselfofwhatyou'dliketoaccomplish.YoucanstreamlineyourfocussessionsevenmorewithSerene'sZapierintegrations,whichcancreatefocussessionsfromappslikeTrello,Asana,Todoist,andanyothertaskmanagementappyoucanthinkof.Serenepricing:$4/month.Freetriallimitedto10freedeepworkhours.Bestfocusappforscheduledsystem-wideblockingColdTurkeyBlocker(Windows,macOS)ColdTurkeyBlockeris,inaword,customizable.Installthissite-blockingapp,andyoucancreatelistsofwebsitesanddesktopappstoblock,thensetascheduleforblocking.Youcould,forexample,blocksocialmediaandvideositesduringeveryworkday.Youcouldalsoblockworkapps,likeSlack,whentheworkdayends.It'salluptoyou.Or,ifyouprefer,youcanturnblockingonandoffmanually.There'sevenamodecalledFrozenTurkey,whichpreventsyoufromaccessingyourcomputerentirely:turniton,andyou'llseeablankscreenuntilyourscheduledoutageisover.Becausethisisasystem-widetoolandnotjustabrowserextension,youcan'tworkarounditbychangingbrowsers.Butitgoesfurtherthanthat—thereareallkindsofsettingsthatthwartfutureversionsofyourselffromworkingaroundyourcurrentintentions.YoucanblocktheTime&Languagesettings,stoppingyoufromworkingaroundascheduledblockbychangingyourcomputer'stime.YoucanstopyourselffromaccessingtheChromiumTaskManager,whichyoucould,intheory,usetodisabletheblockingextension.YoucanevenmakeitimpossibletouninstallColdTurkeyBlockeruntilyourscheduledblockingiscomplete.Icouldgoon,butthebasicpointisthatyoucanstopyourselffromworkingaroundyourblock.Trythisoutifyou'retheself-sabotagingsort.ColdTurkeypricing:$39Proplanwithunlimitedblocking,scheduling,andtheabilitytoblockdesktopappsaswellaswebsites.Bestfreebrowser-basedwebsiteblockerLeechBlockNG(Chrome,Firefox,Edge,Opera)LeechBlockNG(theNGstandsfor"nextgeneration")worksonmostmajorbrowsers,isfree,andgivesyouabunchofoptionsforblockingdistractions.Youcanmakelistsofsitestoblock,thenrestricttheminallkindsofways.Youcanscheduletimesforappstobeblockedoutright,whichisverystraightforward.Alternatively,youcanlimityourtimeondistractingappsbysettinguprules.Forexample:youcouldgiveyourself20minutesofYouTubetimeeveryday,orfourminutesofTwittereveryhour.Youcangetevenmorespecific,ifyouwant,combiningtimelimitswithaschedule—thinkfiveminutesofInstagrameveryhourbetween8a.m.and5p.m.Or,ifyoudon'twanttomesswithschedules,youcantriggeraone-off"lockdown"schedule.It'salotofpower,particularlyforafreetool,andyoucanevenlockdownthesettingsduringblocksessionsifyouwant.Theonlydownside:thisisabrowserextension,notanapp,soyoucanworkarounditbyswitchingbrowsers.Ifyoucanavoidthattemptation,though,LeechBlockshouldworknicely.LeechBlockpricing:FreeBestfocusappfortimetrackingwithbuilt-inwebsiteblockingRescueTime(Windows,macOS,Android)RescueTimeisn't,primarily,adistractionblocker—it'soneofthebesttimetrackingapps.ButitdoesincludeadistractionblockingfeaturecalledFocusTime,whichallowsyoutoblockdistractionsusingyourtimetrackinghistory.Thisworksusingdatayou'realreadyprovidingRescueTime,whichallowsyoutodesignateappsandwebsitesasproductive,distracting,orverydistracting.InFocusTime,youcanchoosetoblockdistractingappsorevenjustanythingyouhaven'tspecificallytaggedasproductive.It'sagreatwaytoblockdistractionswithouthavingtobuildaseparateblocklist,particularlyifyou'relookingforatimetrackingappanyway.YoucanblockdistractionsautomaticallyusingRescueTime'sZapierintegrations,whichallowyoutodothingslikescheduleadailyFocusTimesession.RescueTimepricing:$12/month.NotethatthefreeversionofRescueTimedoesnotincludedistractionblocking.BestfocusappformotivatingyoutoputdownyourphoneForest(Android,iOS,Chrome)Yourphoneisatimemachine,butnotinausefulway.It'swaytooeasytopickitupandthennoticeacoupleofhourshavedisappeared.Forestisanadorableappdesignedtohelpyouwiththat.Theideaissimple:youopentheappandsayyouwanttoplantatree.Thenyouputyourphonedown.Ifyoupickupyourphoneandswitchtoanotherapp,yourtreewilldie.Last25minutes,andyourtreewilllive.Overtime,you'llgrowanentireforestoftrees,areminderofallthetimeyouintentionallyspentgettingthingsdoneinsteadofscrollingthroughTwitter.Plus,ifyouuseapaidversionoftheapp,yourfocustimecouldhelpfundrealtreesviaapartnershipwithTreesfortheFuture.ForestalsooffersaChromeextension,meaningyoucangrowtreesonyourcomputeraswell.Thisoneworksmoreliketheotherappsinthislistbutwithanoptiontoloaddistractingsitesifyouwantto.Thedownsidetooverridingtheblock:you'llhavetodealwithdelightfullytwistedcopy."Thiswillkillyourcute,littletree,"you'rewarned.Itgetsworse:trytolookatadistractingsiteandyou'retold,"yourtreeisdead."It'smanipulative,sure,butit'smanipulatingyoutospendyourtimewisely.Betterthanthereasonsmostappsmanipulateyou.Forestpricing:FreeonChromeandAndroid,$1.99foriPhone.AndroidProversioncosts$1.99,one-time,andofferssyncingacrossdevicesandmoretreevarieties.BestfocusappforanuclearoptionforMacusersSelfControl(Mac)SelfControllooksspartan:there'sablocklist,adialforsettinghowlongyourblockperiodshouldbe,andastartbutton.That'sit.Butitstandsoutforonekeyreason:it'simpossibletoundo.Seriously,thisappishardcore.Closingtheappdoesnothing—allofyourdistractionsarestillblocked.Deletingtheappdoesn'tdoanything,andneitherdoesrebootingyourcomputer.Theonlywaytodisableblocking,onceyousetthetimer,istoreinstallmacOSentirely(whichwoulddeleteallofyourapps,settings,anddocuments).Itistrulythenuclearoptionforblockingdistractions—noneoftheotherappsonthislistcomeclosetothislevelofpermanence.Ifyou'rethesortofpersonwhostartsblocking,thencaves,thisappisforyou.SelfControlpricing:FreeThisarticlewasoriginallypublishedinDecember2018byStephenAltrogge.GetproductivitytipsdeliveredstraighttoyourinboxSubscribeWe’llemailyou1/wk,andnevershareyourinformation.JustinPotJustinPotisawriterandjournalistbasedinHillsboro,Oregon.Helovestechnology,people,andnature,notnecessarilyinthatorder.Learnmore:justinpot.comtagsPersonalproductivitymentionedappsRescueTimeSereneRelatedarticlesImproveyourproductivityautomatically.UseZapiertogetyourappsworkingtogether.SignupSeehowitworks