Nautilus

Dive deep. Focus.

A focus timer that doesn't shame you.

Tap to "dive," and SNS and YouTube are blocked at the OS level — you literally can't open them. Distractions get dumped in 3 seconds. Surface, and your effort becomes a dive log automatically.

Just your email for updates — or skip the line:

▼ Try the free beta now on TestFlight

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No streaks. No red badges. Zero-minute days are fine, too.

SEE A 40-SECOND DIVE

Watch one dive — block, dump, surface.

Recorded on a real device. Tap to dive → apps blocked at the OS level → dump a distraction → surface into an automatic log. Silent — captions tell the story.

THE PROBLEM

You turned off notifications. You still open the app.

You want to focus, but your hand opens YouTube on its own. It's not the notifications — it's the pull.

Mid-task, an unrelated "oh, I have to do that" pops up and your focus is gone.

You've quit every journaling app. The moment logging becomes a chore, it stops.

Nautilus doesn't fix those three separately. It folds them into a single dive.

WHAT MAKES IT NAUTILUS

Nothing else does these three at once — yet.

ALL BLOCK

Real blocking, for one session.

While you're under, SNS, YouTube and messaging apps are blocked at the OS level with iOS Screen Time (FamilyControls). Block lists change per dive type — Reading blocks everything; Coding lets AI notifications through.

Reading = all blocked / Coding = AI OK

3 SEC

Dump distractions in 3 seconds.

When "oh, I have to do that" pops up mid-task, jot it from the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island in 3 seconds. Let it go — it all comes back when you surface.

No need to open the app

DIVE LOG

Your effort logs itself.

Surface, and what you did, for how long, and how many distractions are all recorded automatically. Weekly and monthly totals, breakdown by type, daily bars. It adds up — without writing a word.

Zero manual entry

Dive → dump in 3 seconds → surface into a log. All in one session.

WATER DEPTH = QUALITY OF FOCUS

The quieter you dive, the deeper you go.

Depth is the quality of your focus itself. The longer you stay under — quietly, undisturbed — the deeper you sink (1 min = 1 m). Reach for a blocked app and your descent slows. But depth never drops. Surfacing is never punished.

50min · 0 temptations → WATER DEPTH 0m

50min · many temptations → WATER DEPTH 0m

Some days you dive deep, some days you don't. That's fine.

NO GUILT BY DESIGN

Apps that manage you, shame you. Nautilus won't.

No streaks.
No red badges, no warnings.
Zero-minute days? It says nothing.
Depth only goes up. It never falls.
Surface anytime — no guilt.

You don't have to push hard, and nothing scolds you. That's why it lasts.

MIDNIGHT ABYSS

A small expedition into the night sea.

Deep navy water. Glowing plankton. Amber light in the portholes. Nautilus turned focus from "management" into a dive.

What will you dive into today?

WHY I BUILT THIS

An indie dev built this to focus — for himself first.

Day job, then side projects at night and on weekends. My head was always in gridlock. I wanted to focus but my hand reached for the phone, I quit every journaling app, and I was tired of apps that scolded me with "0 minutes today."

There are endless focus apps built on streaks and pressure. There wasn't a quiet one that doesn't shame you. So I'm building it — for myself.

I'm posting the whole build in public. What will you dive into?

Built by → @dareyanen2024 #buildinpublic

NAUTILUS · N=1

Beta invites are going out, in order.

Just drop your email. TestFlight invites go out as they're ready. No rush — just wait quietly in line.

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Only invite emails. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam.

▼ Or try the free beta right now on TestFlight

NOW IN TESTFLIGHT· invites by hand, a few at a time.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Can it really block apps?

Yes. It uses iOS Screen Time (FamilyControls / Screen Time API) to block the apps you choose at the OS level — but only while you're under. Distance from temptation by design, not willpower.

Is the block absolute? What if I really need to open something?

You can lift it from Screen Time settings (true for any app of this kind). Nautilus adds the friction that stops you from opening it absent-mindedly. It's not a prison.

Where do I write the distraction notes?

No need to open the app. Jot from the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island in 3 seconds. When you surface, that dive's notes come back together.

Do I log sessions myself?

No. Surface and it's automatic — what, how long, how many distractions. Weekly/monthly totals, breakdown by type, daily bars, all automatic.

I don't want to be nagged by streaks or goals.

That's the whole design. No streaks, no red badges. Zero-minute days aren't scolded. Depth never drops.

When can I use it? How much?

It's in real-device testing now, with TestFlight beta invites going out in order. Sign up and we'll reach out as soon as it's ready.

iPhone only?

Yes — iPhone on iOS 18+ (it uses FamilyControls).