Text, not icons
Your apps as a quiet list of words, in black and white.
Minimalist launcher for AndroidReclaim your time. Spend it touching some grass.
Focus is a minimalist launcher. Plain text: no icons, no colour, no feed.
APK · 1.3 MB · v1.1.55 · Android 8+ · Free. No ads. No internet permission.
Limits that hold
Social apps and games get a daily allowance. Then they lock.
A weekly look back
Every Sunday, one screen: how long, which apps, what time of day.
On the home screen
- The clock, and what comes next
- Time on the left, next events or screen time on the right.
- Today's screen time
- The total and its share of the day. Tap it for the details.
- Your next events
- From the one calendar you pick, emoji left out.
- Five apps, two corners
- The few you need, in words. Phone and camera in the corners.
Apps
Every app, one swipe away. None of them shouting.
- Search understands names, initials and typos.
- New apps sit on top for their first 24 hours.
- Sort A–Z, by most used or most recent. Work apps get a tab.
- Long-press an app to time, rename, hide or pin it.
App timers
When time is up, it is up.
- Social media and games get 30 minutes a day, or what you set.
- Mail, browsers and messengers are never limited unless you ask.
- Time's up: closing is the big button, carrying on takes a pause.
- Ignored a limit? Focus still asks before every visit.
Screen time
Today, hour by hour.
- Tap your screen time: total, share of the day, unlocks.
- One cell per hour, filled by how much of it went to the screen.
- The apps behind the number, longest first, with their limits.
Weekly review
See the week you actually had.
- Total, daily average, and the change from the week before.
- A bar per day and a bar per hour: not just how much, but when.
- Where it went, app by app, and at what time of day.
- It ends with one question, and one line you write for next week.
Minimalist launcher
What a minimalist launcher is, and what this one adds.
A minimalist launcher swaps the icon grid for a plain list of app names.
Like Olauncher, Niagara or Before Launcher, in plain text. Focus adds:
- A built-in app blocker. Daily limits, no second app to install.
- The truth. Screen time on your home screen, a review every week.
- No leaks. No internet permission, no account, no ads. 1.3 MB.
1.3 MBThe whole app.
0 framesdrawn while nothing moves.
0 bytessent anywhere, ever.
2 coloursBlack and white. No emoji.
Privacy
It cannot phone home.
No internet permission: Android itself will not let Focus connect.
It needs a few switches. Here is why:
| Permission | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Home app | Being the screen you land on when you press Home. |
| Usage access | Counting screen time: today's total, the timers and the weekly review. |
| Accessibility service | Locking an app while you are in it. It cannot read the screen. |
| Notification access optional | Naming the song in the music section. No notification is read. |
| Notifications optional | Telling you the weekly review is ready. |
| Calendar optional | Showing your next events on the home screen. |
Install
Three minutes, start to finish.
- Download focus-launcher-1.1.55.apk (1.3 MB).
- Open it. Allow your browser to install apps, then tap Install.
- Open Focus Settings → Setup. Flip the three switches.
- Press Home. Swipe left for apps. Long-press to change things.
A switch is greyed out? App info → ⋮ → Allow restricted settings.
To check your download, compare its SHA-256:
898c1b16b4b88615729910aea757d5ea92765edc90ca54221306d329aa6f5dd0
Changed your mind? Pick another home app in Settings, then uninstall Focus.
Questions
Fair things to ask.
Is Focus free?
Yes. No price, no subscription, no ads.
Which phones does it work on?
Any phone with Android 8.0 or newer.
How is this different from Android's own Digital Wellbeing?
It hides its numbers in settings. Focus puts them on your home screen.
Is it safe to install an APK from a website?
Compare the SHA-256 above, and let Play Protect scan the file.
Why does a launcher want an accessibility service?
To lock an app while you are in it. It learns only the app's name.
How does it know what counts as social media?
Its own list of feeds and social networks, plus the Play Store's games.
Will it drain my battery?
No. Idle, it draws zero frames, and nothing runs in the background.
Can I read the source code?
Yes. Free software under GPL-3.0, all of it on GitHub.
Can I have my icons back?
Not here. That is the point. Switching back takes ten seconds.
What about apps in a work profile?
They get their own tab. Android keeps their usage and calendar private.
Take your time back.
The grass is right outside.
Download Focus 1.1.55
APK · 1.3 MB · Android 8.0 or newer