Write the outcome before opening the next tab.
‘Work’ can mean almost anything on a screen. ‘Draft the client proposal using the brief and my research notes’ describes a task. ‘Fix the login bug using the codebase and framework documentation’ gives a development session a clear purpose. AI Focus uses that goal as context for periodic screenshot checks.
Name the necessary supporting work too. Reading documentation, checking a reference, planning a section and editing a draft can all belong to the same outcome. You should not have to label every useful app as distracting just because it can also lead somewhere else.
Interrupt the pivot from working to browsing.
Distraction can begin inside a tool you need. A search becomes general browsing. Research becomes shopping. A break in concentration becomes a game. An exhaustive block list can be difficult to maintain when the destination keeps changing.
AI Focus looks at what is happening on the screen in relation to your stated goal. Two consecutive off-task checks trigger app or browser closure and a cooldown. It is a practical interruption, not a claim that the app can measure the quality of your thinking or guarantee an uninterrupted day.
Use deliberate breaks instead of accidental exits.
A focused block should have a realistic boundary. Deal with messages, save files and decide what you want to finish before starting. When the block ends, make room for the other parts of your day. The aim is to separate the work you chose from the detours you did not plan.
Be careful with work that cannot tolerate an app closing. An AI judgment can be wrong, and quitting a browser can affect every open tab. AI Focus is designed for blocks you choose for yourself; it is not marketed as an employee surveillance system or a measure of how hard someone is working.
More allowance for a longer routine.
AI Focus and AI Focus Max use the same goal-based approach. Max adds a larger monthly full-speed allowance rather than a different promise of accuracy. Full-speed hours are estimates for one display, and actual usage depends on your screen setup and activity.
After your monthly allowance is used, checks slow down rather than stop entirely. Both AI subscriptions include Pro while subscribed. If you only want traditional blocking, you can use the free core blocker or choose the separate one-time Pro upgrade.