Hank Green’s Focus Friend app is climbing the App Store charts — and it’s extremely cute

In an era where distractions are just a tap away, Focus Friend offers a charming solution to enhance productivity. Developed by Honey B Games in collaboration with Hank Green, a well-known figure in the online community, this app encourages users to concentrate by assigning them a delightful little bean character that relies on their focus to complete a knitting project. Since its soft launch last month, Focus Friend has recently surged in popularity on the App Store. Thanks to increased promotion from Hank and his brother, author John Green, the app climbed to the impressive ranks of No. 4 among all free apps and No. 2 in the productivity category. Available on both iOS and Android, Focus Friend operates similarly to standard productivity apps by allowing users to set timers that limit access to distracting applications. On iOS, the “Deep Focus Mode” feature integrates with the device's screen time settings, allowing users to specify which apps to block during focus sessions. What sets Focus Friend apart, however, is the unique engagement it offers. Users can name their bean companion—whether it's something whimsical like Garbanzo or playful like Susan Bean Anthony. The goal is to keep your bean focused, enabling it to knit successfully, while you earn in-game points (represented as socks) to decorate its cozy room. The app draws parallels to Finch, another popular self-care app where users nurture a virtual bird companion by completing various healthy tasks. Both apps tap into our instinct to care for adorable digital pets, encouraging us to develop positive habits in the process. Focus Friend is free to use, but it also offers premium features, including unique skins for your bean, such as a cat-themed “Kitt-ney Bean” or a jelly bean design. A subscription option allows users to unlock knitting capabilities for their beans, trading crafted scarves for exclusive room decorations. Hank Green has shared on Bluesky that the app aims to provide an ad-free experience, emphasizing the need for a monetization strategy to support the team behind this delightful creation.