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Focus and timer

Focus on a task

I want to …

… pick the one task I work on now, see it above the clock, and end the focus when I am done.

Before you start

  • Focus is personal. Each person has one focus task per board; others keep their own.
  • The card stays in its column. Focus only marks it, the card lights up on the board.
  • Cards in Done cannot be focused.
  • Works on every plan (Free, Pro, Ultra) and for every role (Owner, Admin, Member).

Here's how

  1. On desktop, hover a card on the board and click the focus icon at its top right. Or open the task and click Focus in the header. In Activity, the same icon sits on each task and switches to that task's workspace and board in the background, so the light column and Hyperfocus follow it. The row and the card share the focus frame.
  2. Or tap Let's focus: on a phone in the focus bar above the navigation, on a wide screen in the timer box at the top right of the board header. The board opens with the hint Tap the task you want to focus on. Tap the card. Cancel leaves the pick without a change.
  3. The card lights up. If the task had nobody assigned, it is assigned to you.
  4. Open the Focus tab. The light column fills the screen, and your task card sits above the clock.
  5. Tap the card to open the whole task as an overlay. Edit the title, description, checklist, and all modules there. Close it with the close icon.
  6. Start the timer with play. You can also start it from the focus bar or the board header first and pick the task afterwards; the running time moves to the task.
  7. To change the duration, tap the clock in the focus bar or the board header. Minus and plus change it by one minute; hold them to keep counting, after a moment in steps of five. Tap the check mark or the clock again to finish. For mode, presets, and sound, tap the slider icon next to plus, or long-press or right-click the clock: Timer settings opens. In the Focus tab, tap the line under the clock instead.
  8. When you are finished, press Done under the card. The focus ends, the timer resets, and the card stays in its column.
  9. To switch to another task, focus it directly. The previous one leaves focus and its timer resets.

The result

Exactly one task is your focus on this board. The timer, the light column, and the focus bar belong to it until you press Done.

Common questions

What happens when I move the focused card into Done?

The focus ends on its own and the timer resets.

What does the focus bar show on a phone?

Without a focus task: play to start the timer on its own, and Let's focus. With a focus task: its title, the remaining time, play or pause, and a thin line of light that burns down. Tap the title to open the Focus tab. Tap the clock to change the duration, or long-press it for Timer settings.

What sits in the board header on a wide screen?

The same as the focus bar, as a small box at the top right: your focus task or Let's focus, the clock, and play or pause. The frame lights up while a focus task or a run is active. Click the title to open the Focus tab.

Where does a changed duration go?

While the timer runs or is paused, the change applies to the current run right away (in Pomodoro, to the running phase). It is also saved in your personal Timer settings, so it applies on every board and on your other devices. Teammates keep their own durations.

Why does a recurring task stay put overnight?

The nightly run does not move a card that someone has in focus. The next date still advances.

Where did the Focus column go?

It is gone. Existing boards lose the column; its cards moved back to the column they came from and stay in focus.

Can I focus a parked link right away?

Yes. When you go through the parking lot with Random and tap Do it, a task appears on the current board. Then tap Focus, and it becomes your focus task. See the article on going through parked links with Random.

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