At Approud we make small apps for the big, ordinary moments of the day: getting work done, learning something new, winding down at night, putting the phone away when it matters, and the little jobs in between.
We think a good everyday app should do one job well, be calm to use, and respect your time and your data. Here's what each of our apps is for, and the difference it can make.
Focus on what matters: Porotimer
The job: getting started on hard work, and staying with it.
Porotimer is a Pomodoro timer with tasks, projects and a focus garden. You work in short blocks of focus with real breaks in between, and every session plants a tree on your island.
What you get from it:
- Starting gets easier. "Just one 25-minute session" is a much smaller ask than "finish the report".
- You see your progress. Your garden, streaks and a monthly calendar turn focus time into something you can see.
- Fewer interruptions. It can block distracting apps during a session, and the timer lives on your Lock Screen.
- Your own rhythm. Flows save your timer lengths and sounds for study, writing or deep work.
Read more: The Pomodoro Technique, step by step
Learn the world, a few minutes a day: Map Guess
The job: finally knowing where places are.
Map Guess is a calm geography game: one daily map puzzle, short lessons, and smart review that brings back the places you keep forgetting.
What you get from it:
- Real learning in tiny doses. A few minutes a day is enough, and spaced review makes it stick.
- A daily moment of curiosity. The Daily is the same puzzle for everyone, so it's fun to compare with friends.
- A whole world to explore. The world, the six continents, and the states and provinces of 23 countries.
Read more: Learn world geography in five minutes a day
Rest and sleep better: Zen Melodies
The job: winding down and falling asleep more easily.
Zen Melodies brings together sleep sounds, music and guided breathing, with a simple view of how you're sleeping.
What you get from it:
- A calmer mind at night. Mix more than 100 sounds into your own soundscape and let the sleep timer fade it out.
- A routine you'll keep. Set a bedtime and wake time, and get a gentle wind-down reminder.
- Two minutes to settle. Guided breathing like Box Breathing and 4-7-8.
- A view of your nights. Connect Apple Health to see how long you slept and how your week is going.
Read more: A calmer bedtime routine with sound, breath and a little data
Protect your photos in seconds: Easy Watermark
The job: putting your name on your photos and videos before you share them.
Easy Watermark adds a text, logo or signature watermark to photos and videos, one at a time or a whole batch at once.
What you get from it:
- Your work, credited. Add your name, your logo or a hand-drawn signature, and style it with fonts, colours and opacity.
- A whole shoot in one go. Pick a batch of photos, watermark them all at once, and export in high resolution.
- Your look, saved. Save your watermark as a template, and use the built-in fonts or your own.
- Videos too. Put the same mark on a video before you post it.
Take back your attention: Lockin (coming soon)
The job: putting distracting apps and websites out of reach.
Lockin blocks the apps and websites that pull you away: right now, on a schedule, or after a daily limit. Make it Strict, and there's no easy way out until the time is up.
What you'll get from it:
- Decide once, not a hundred times a day. Schedules and limits do the saying-no for you.
- Real focus when it counts. "Lock in now" clears distractions for a deadline in one tap.
- Privacy. No account, and your usage stays on your iPhone.
Read more: How to stop reaching for your phone
What all our apps have in common
- Calm by design. No noisy feeds or endless notifications. Each app gets out of your way when its job is done.
- Free to try. Every app is free to download, with a free version or a free trial before you decide to pay.
- Respect for your data. We collect as little as we can, never sell it, and explain what each app uses in its own privacy policy.
- Made for iPhone and iPad. Built to feel at home on Apple devices.
Which one should you start with?
- If your days feel busy but unproductive, start with Porotimer.
- If you keep losing time to your phone, keep an eye out for Lockin, and use Porotimer's app blocking in the meantime.
- If you'd like a small daily habit that teaches you something, start with Map Guess.
- If evenings are restless and mornings are heavy, start with Zen Melodies.
- If you share photos or videos of your work, start with Easy Watermark.
Pick one, use it for a week, and see what changes. Small improvements, done every day, add up to better days.
