The five-step setup
- Open FocusDragon and click New Block (or use the shared creator from Today, Statistics, or a template).
- Give the block a name — something concrete like "Deep work mornings" or "No Twitter until 6pm".
- Add the websites (by domain) or applications you want blocked. Optionally put the block in a folder chip.
- Pick a lock type. "No Lock" lets you toggle the block off any time and is free. Timer, Password, Random Text, Frozen, Schedule and the other locked types make it harder to bail mid-session and require FocusDragon Pro.
- Create the block, then hit Start.
What happens when a block is active
Once you hit Start, the background daemon takes over. Blocked websites resolve to a local block page (DNS-level enforcement via /etc/hosts), the browser extensions intercept matching URLs inside Safari, Chrome/Chromium and Firefox, and any blocked applications get force-quit if you try to open them. Enforcement keeps running even if you quit the FocusDragon window — the daemon is independent of the app process. Scheduled and Sleep blocks keep running with the app closed too.
Most people underestimate what "No Lock" buys them. If your goal is to add a single second of friction between you and Twitter, No Lock is enough. Reach for Timer or Random Text only after you notice yourself bailing out within seconds.
You need to be signed in
Browsing and configuring blocks works without an account, but you have to sign in with Google or Apple to actually start one. The sidebar shows your auth status — if it says "Sign in" instead of your name, the Start button won't fire.