FocusTag

Inspiration

Staying focused today is tough with constant notifications and social media temptations. Most timer apps just count down the minutes—they don't stop you from picking up your phone. We built FocusTag to give people a peaceful, distraction-free workspace by combining colorful task organization, actual app blocking, and relaxing visuals with ambient soundscapes.

What it does

• Color-Coded Tags: Group tasks by color (e.g., Work, Study, Creative) with customized focus and break timers.
• Distraction Blocker: Temporarily locks distracting apps and websites so you can't doomscroll during a session.
• Visuals & Soundscapes: Calming backgrounds and ambient sounds (rain, cafe, nature, white noise) to help you get into the zone.
• Live Activities: Track remaining time right from your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.
• Session History: Automatically tracks completed sessions so you can see your daily productivity habits.

How we built it

• SwiftUI & Swift 6: Clean, native Apple design with smooth animations.
• Screen Time API: Built with Apple's FamilyControls and ManagedSettings to safely block distracting apps.
• Audio Engine: Developed a multi-layer sound mixer using AVFoundation for background sounds and music.
• Live Activities: Powered by ActivityKit and WidgetKit for glanceable timers.
• SwiftData: Fast, offline-first local database to save all your sessions and settings securely.

Challenges we ran into

• App Blocking Permissions: Working with Apple's Screen Time system extension to reliably block and unblock apps on time.
• Background Audio: Keeping ambient sounds looping smoothly without draining the phone's battery.
• Timer Sync: Making sure the timer stays 100% accurate when moving between the app, Lock Screen, and Dynamic Island.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Designed a clean, beautiful interface that feels like a native Apple app.
• Built a distraction blocker that genuinely helps users stay off their phones.
• Created a relaxing audio experience that plays smoothly in the background.

What we learned

• Best practices for multi-track audio playback in iOS.
• How much a pleasant aesthetic and soundscape can boost daily focus.

What's next for FocusTag

• Mac & iPad Version: Sync focus sessions seamlessly across all Apple devices.
• Apple Watch App: Quick start and haptic session alerts right on your wrist.

Built With

• gemini
• suno
• swift
• swiftui