iOS App

LockedIn

A focus app that blocks distracting apps at the system level, then turns consistency into visible progress with XP, streaks, and goals.

Swift SwiftUI FamilyControls ActivityKit watchOS

App Store

Traction

5K+

Downloads

100+

Countries

4.7★

App Store rating

$1K+

Revenue

Strongest adoption in the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Core Experience

From scheduling a session to tracking long-term goals, these screens show how LockedIn turns focus into something you can measure.

Home dashboard with scheduled focus sessions, daily progress, and XP level — Home dashboard and scheduled sessions

Core flows

Active focus timer with task queue and pause controls — Active focus timer

Live Activity on the Lock Screen while distracting apps are blocked — Live Activity during focus

Gamified progression system with XP, levels, ranks, and milestone journey — XP progression and milestones

Supporting flows

To-do management with Now, Later, Someday, and Done categories — Task planning with priority categories

Goal tracking with active goals, deadlines, and sub-tasks — Goal tracking and deadlines

Streak and daily goal interface showing XP progress and difficulty levels — Streaks and daily goals

The Problem

Most focus apps are just timers. You start a session, open Instagram, and nothing stops you. The app quietly counts down in the background while you scroll.

The core issue is enforcement. A timer without friction is a suggestion, not a tool. People who struggle with focus need something that actually stops the distraction, not just tracks it.

The Solution

LockedIn blocks distracting apps at the system level during focus sessions using Apple’s FamilyControls framework. When a session starts, the OS shields selected apps until the session ends.

Around that core, the app includes a Pomodoro timer, task management, daily goals, and a progression system with XP, levels, streaks, and milestones. It runs across iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, with Live Activities for active sessions and home screen widgets for quick stats.

System-Level App Blocking

FamilyControls and ManagedSettings block apps during focus. A custom Shield Configuration Extension replaces blocked app UIs with a branded shield view.

Gamified Progression

100-level XP system with streaks, milestones, and a multi-factor Focus Score that rewards consistency over one-off sessions.

Live Activities & Widgets

ActivityKit-powered Dynamic Island and Lock Screen timer. WidgetKit home screen widgets for daily stats and progress.

watchOS Companion

Standalone watchOS app for starting sessions, breathing exercises, and quick controls from the wrist.

Live Activity on the Lock Screen during an active focus session — **Live Activity in action.** During a focus session, the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island show a persistent timer powered by ActivityKit while distracting apps stay blocked by the system.

Engineering

App Blocking

Apple’s FamilyControls API requires a Shield Configuration Extension that runs in a separate process. When a blocked app is opened mid-session, the system replaces its UI with a custom shield view. Getting this stable across app launches, backgrounding, and device restarts took a lot of iteration. ShieldManager coordinates authorization, selection state, and activation through one observable object.

Timer Precision

The timer excludes paused time atomically to avoid race conditions, disables the idle timer during focus, and dims the screen after 5 seconds of inactivity. Break skips count as distractions, and the timer integrates with ActivityKit to keep Live Activities in sync.

Focus Score Algorithm

Five weighted factors. Consistency (30%), intensity (25%), discipline (20%), progress (15%), and commitment (10%). The score is drawn from streak data, session duration, and daily goals. Daily changes are capped at 1.0 to reward steady habits over one-off spikes.

Multi-target Architecture

The app ships four targets. iOS app, watchOS companion, Shield Configuration Extension, and Widget Extension. Each domain is isolated into dedicated manager classes (FocusManager, ShieldManager, LevelManager) coordinated through @Observable, which keeps each feature testable in isolation.

Monetization Pipeline

Superwall manages paywalls, StoreKit handles purchases, and Firebase Remote Config drives A/B tests on paywall variants and onboarding flows. Iterating on paywall design and onboarding copy through remote experiments improved conversion without App Store updates.

Technologies

SwiftUI

Declarative UI across iOS and watchOS with @Observable view models.

FamilyControls

Screen Time APIs for system-level app blocking and Shield Configuration Extension.

SwiftData

Persistence for sessions, tasks, and goals.

ActivityKit

Live Activities for Dynamic Island and Lock Screen timer.

WidgetKit

Home screen widgets and iOS 18 Control Center actions.

HealthKit

Mindful minutes written to Apple Health after each session.

Firebase

Analytics, remote config, and A/B testing infrastructure.

StoreKit & Superwall

In-app purchases with dynamically configured paywalls.

OSLog

Structured logging with subsystems for timer, notifications, and streaks.