Launching today
Pause.do
Interrupt scrolling, tab overload, and AI autopilot
116 followers
Interrupt scrolling, tab overload, and AI autopilot
116 followers
pause.do is a privacy-first browser extension that interrupts the moments when attention slips into autopilot, endless scrolling, tab overload, and even AI prompts. Instead of blocking websites, it creates small, intentional pauses that help you think first and decide what to do next. With pause types like Think First, Scroll Pause, Session Nudge, Focus Limit, and Tab Overload, pause.do helps you stay in control of your attention online.
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👋 Hey Product Hunt!
The idea for pause.do started from something that made me uncomfortable.
I watched a video
discussing an MIT paper showing that when people rely heavily on LLMs for simple tasks, their cognitive engagement can actually drop over time.
That stuck with me.
I realized how often I was opening ChatGPT or scrolling feeds before even trying to think through a problem myself.
So I built a small weekend project: a screen-time style browser extension with a twist.
Instead of blocking websites, pause.do introduces small pauses when attention tends to drift:
• before AI prompts
• during long scrolling sessions
• when tab overload starts
• when you spend too long in certain apps
The goal isn’t restriction.
It’s simply to reintroduce a moment to think first.
Everything runs locally in the browser, and no browsing data ever leaves your device.
What started as a simple experiment turned into something surprisingly helpful for my own habits online.
Curious what you all think.
Do you ever catch yourself asking AI something before trying to think it through yourself?
Would love your feedback 🙏
@adenekan_wonderful Have you measured any personal wins yet; like fewer knee-jerk AI queries or better focus sessions, since building and using pause.do?
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@swati_paliwal Yeah, the biggest one is just awareness. I catch myself before I open ChatGPT now, which honestly never used to happen. Not perfect at all, but fewer “knee-jerk” queries and more intentional ones.
It’s less about using AI less, more about not using it by default.
minimalist phone: creating folders
I read an article that more people (Gen Z) are shifting back to the offline space and want to be more present. On the other hand, the older generation started using the internet more. So this way, you can cover 2 target audiences – people who want to break up with their internet addiction and their parents, who are out of control, and their kids can install this on their devices :D
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@busmark_w_nika
This is such an interesting shift tbh.
It feels like two curves crossing, younger people trying to reclaim focus, while older generations are just fully entering the chaos.
I hadn’t even thought about the “install it for your parents” angle 😄 but you’re right… the problem isn’t age, it’s how easily we all slip into autopilot.
The goal is less “block the internet” and more “create a moment to choose”, and that probably applies to both groups in different ways. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this.