Tomosu - Lock your apps by default to improve your digital wellbeing
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Every wellbeing app punishes you. Tomosu does the opposite.
Instead of blocking apps, Tomosu restricts everything by default — notifications, badges, gone. Start a Focus Session to unlock only what you need.
🔒 All apps locked by default. Calm is the starting point.
🎯 Focus Sessions with presets (Work, Study, Creative)
🏋️ SNS Challenge — shake your phone before scrolling
💰 Focus earns coins. Longer SNS use = fewer coins.
🔐 Apple Screen Time API. Data stays on device.
Free. No ads. No guilt.
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Tomosu
Tomosu
Update: We just hit Top 25! 🕯️
Thank you so much for the incredible support! As a solo developer building from rural Japan, this means everything.
Here's what I'm working on next based on your feedback:
- Home screen redesign with daily schedule
- More physical challenge types
- Routine tracking integration
What feature would make you stick with a digital wellbeing app for more than a week? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
@nakajima_ryoma When Tomosu starts quiet, can I set locks by time block so social stays locked during my daily schedule but maps and messages stay open? The 20-shake SNS challenge is fun, but I'd bet the stickiness comes from a fast override plus a weekly recap of impulse opens.
Tomosu
@piroune_balachandran Great insight — thanks for the thoughtful question.
What you can do right now:
For apps you always need (like Maps or work messaging), you can set them as "Always Allowed" in iOS Settings > Screen Time. This takes priority over Tomosu's restrictions, so those apps stay accessible 24/7.
On top of that, when you start a Focus Session, you choose which additional apps to unlock. By default, Tomosu applies a 24-hour blanket restriction on everything, and sessions carve out temporary exceptions for only what you need.
Time-block scheduling is on the roadmap — think "9-12 deep work, 12-1 lunch break, 1-5 meetings" with different app presets per block.
Weekly impulse recap — we already track session history by app category, so surfacing something like "you unlocked Twitter 12 times this week, avg 4 min each" is very doable. Adding it to the list.
This kind of feedback shapes the roadmap — really appreciate it 🙏
Tomosu
Maker here!
Excited to share a sneak peek at what's coming next for Tomosu 🔥
We've been thinking a lot about what happens after you put your phone down.
The answer? You go explore the real world.
In a major update coming this October, coins you earn by staying focused will unlock real-world retreat experiences — hot springs, nature walks, art workshops, and more across Japan.
We're starting in Fujino (Sagamihara City) — a hidden gem art town just one hour from Tokyo, nestled in the mountains — and expanding nationwide from there.
The vision: whether you're in Japan or visiting from anywhere in the world, Tomosu becomes your bridge from mindful screen time to discovering Japan's incredible nature and culture.
Digital wellbeing shouldn't end at your screen. It should lead you somewhere beautiful.
Stay tuned — and thank you all for the support! 🙏
Tomosu
Why "Tomosu"?
In Japanese, 灯す (tomosu) means "to light" or "to kindle a flame."
Most screen time apps are about blocking, restricting, shutting things down. Tomosu is the opposite — it's about lighting up only what matters.
By default, everything is quiet. No notifications, no badges, no noise. Then you choose what to light up for your focus session. Like lighting a single candle in a dark room — you see only what you need.
And soon, those flames will guide you to real places: hot springs, art villages, mountain trails across Japan. The light moves from your screen into the real world.
That's Tomosu — not turning off, but lighting the way.
Tomosu
🕯️ Top 3 Challenge — 50% off for everyone!
If Tomosu reaches the Top 3 (Daily, Weekly, or Monthly), I'll send a 50% off annual Premium code to every single person who comments on this page.
That's a promise from a solo dev who still can't believe we hit Top 25 today.
Drop a comment — even just a "hi" works. I'll personally reply and send your code when we make it! 🎁
minimalist phone: creating folders
Good idea behind the app :)
Tomosu
@busmark_w_nika Thanks so much, Nika! Really appreciate you coming over from the vibecoding thread to check out Tomosu and upvote it — that means a lot. Your thread is awesome by the way, loved reading everyone's first vibe-coded projects. I'll definitely check out minimalist phone too!
minimalist phone: creating folders
@nakajima_ryoma Thank you so much for your kind words!:)
moltdj
Tomosu
@borislovelove Great question! Here's how Tomosu handles the essentials:
Tomosu uses Apple's Screen Time API, which has a built-in "Always Allowed" list (Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed). Phone calls, Messages, and Maps are allowed by default, so those are never blocked. You can also add any must-have apps there — like your authenticator or banking app — and they'll stay accessible 24/7 regardless of Tomosu's restrictions.
On top of that, when you start a Focus Session, you pick which additional apps to unlock temporarily. So the flow is basically: always-on essentials via iOS settings + session-based unlocking for everything else.
No need for a separate emergency bypass — Apple handles that layer natively, and Tomosu works on top of it.
Thanks for the question — this is something I should probably explain more clearly on the app's onboarding!