BigBro

What is it

BigBro is a focus tool with a Mac app and an iPhone app (the iPhone app is not on the App Store yet). During a focus session the Mac app covers the apps you picked and blocks the websites you picked at the system level, and it can't be quit mid-session; the iPhone app blocks apps and sites through the system's Screen Time. You can invite a supervisor by email, and they don't need the app: an early unlock needs their approval by email, they get an email when you break a session or go silent for a long time, and they have a status page that needs no login. Study rooms are laid out like classroom seats; everyone in a room shares one pomodoro timer, can take a seat and send reactions, and can chat during breaks. Public rooms are named after places, and you can also create a friends room that others enter with an invite code. The web study room works with a libreAdam account; the web version does not block anything.

Highlights

• Mac: covers the apps you picked during focus, blocks websites at the system level, can't be quit mid-session
• iPhone: blocks apps and sites through Screen Time (not on the App Store yet)
• Supervisors get alerts by email and don't need the app; an early unlock needs their approval
• Study rooms: one shared pomodoro timer per room, chat during breaks; friends rooms by invite code
• Web study room with a libreAdam account; the web version does not block anything
• Streaks, with milestones at 3 / 7 / 21 / 100 days