Native macOS app · built for ADHD
SuperNudge
The focus companion that scaffolds attention without shame. AI screen-awareness that nudges you back — never blocks, never alarms, never blames.
SuperNudge is a native macOS focus companion built for ADHD and neurodivergent brains. It runs in your menu bar, watches your screen during a focus session, and when you drift it gently guides you back with a calm, supportive cue — plus a full focus system: timer, AI Focus Buddy, task board, dopamine menu, and an ambient HUD, all designed around positive reinforcement instead of shame.
why it exists
Most productivity tools fail ADHD brains by design.
They run on shame, rigid schedules, and negative reinforcement. SuperNudge does the opposite — when you drift, it offers a hand, not a verdict.
What it refuses to do
- "You are distracted." — shame markers
- Loud, jarring Pomodoro alarms
- Red "BLOCKED" / punishment design
- Blank required fields (blank is friction)
- Agents that act silently in the background
- Auto-deleting your parked ideas
What it does instead
- Verb-first, agency-framed nudges
- Soft-landing glow + gentle chimes
- Warm amber health, never alarm-red
- Fields pre-filled from your real data
- Propose-and-confirm — you approve first
- "Vaporize safely," never nag
what's inside
A full focus system, tuned for the inattentive-type brain.
Not a generic Pomodoro timer — a companion for the specific ways an ADHD brain slips: time blindness, object permanence gaps, task-initiation paralysis, and rejection sensitivity.
Focus & Sessions
Focus Sessions
Timed deep-work around a goal, tracking elapsed time and on-task percentage.
Focus / Break dial
One dial to flip between a work sprint and a break — no menus.
Auto goal breakdown
One tap splits a goal into ~3 micro-steps, tuned to your energy.
Sequential micro-goals
One step at a time; finishing pops confetti and re-anchors you.
Open-ended sessions
A sandbox mode that counts up — never a stressful 00:00.
Menu-bar timer pill
A live mm:ss countdown in the macOS menu bar.
Nudges & Interventions
AI screen-aware nudges
Drift to Reddit or YouTube and a calm capsule offers a supportive nudge.
Forgiveness Protocol
Verb-first, warm copy capped at three actions — never "you failed."
Quiet Mode
Silence nudges for 2h (or auto during meetings); timer keeps running.
Focus Coach
An optional screen-aware coaching line for gentle mid-session guidance.
The Focus Buddy — AI agent
Focus Buddy
A chat teammate that works across tasks, inbox, sessions, and settings.
Propose-and-confirm
Never changes data silently — every action needs your approval first.
Skills
Attachable instruction sets — Weekly Review, Inbox-to-Tasks, and more.
Routines
Time- or event-triggered runs that draft proposals — off by default.
Agent memory
Persistent threads, a facts notebook, and on-device semantic recall.
Bring your own AI
Anthropic, OpenAI-compatible, Google Gemini, or Mimo — no lock-in.
Capture, Tasks & Email
Park a thought (⌥Space)
Dump a distracting thought into an inbox from anywhere, zero friction.
Kanban task board
Columns, swimlanes, and list views to organize tasks your way.
Parked-List Rescue
Stale items decay to warm amber with a gentle "keep or let go?"
Email triage
Unify Gmail and Outlook; turn any email into a calm 3-step task.
ADHD accommodations
Spoon Energy
Set low / balanced / high; it reshapes breakdown and what surfaces.
1-Percent Micro-Victory
Name the first action; doing it triggers a sparkling win.
Body Doubling Simulator
A subtle "virtual focus buddy" so you're not working alone.
Dopamine Menu
Energy-aware breaks with a "🎲 Roll for Dopamine" for choice paralysis.
Micro-Wins
Low-friction "what went right?" — incl. "Bare Minimum" & "Spite Win."
Breathing Recharge
A calming breathing break overlay for a reset.
The ambient HUD
Chromatic Time Ticker
The screen edge shifts hue (teal→violet→amber) so you feel time pass.
Holographic Goal Sticky
A click-through capsule pins your goal so it's never out of mind.
Ambient vignette
A soft edge glow shows focus health in calm green-amber-coral.
Configurable widgets
Movable glass widgets: countdown ring, goal board, task panel.
Soft-Landing breaks
Breaks arrive as a gentle glow shift + soft chimes, never an alarm.
Grounding soundscapes
Ambient focus audio to steady a session.
Tracking & reflection
Analytics dashboard
On-task %, focused minutes, streaks, mood — stored locally.
Session timeline
Browse past sessions with full detail and reflections.
Session-end reflection
Optional mood, a note, and a micro-win when a session ends.
the design thesis
Every feature answers a specific cognitive block.
SuperNudge isn't a pile of features — it's a map. Each accommodation targets a known way the inattentive-type brain struggles.
built honestly
Native, private, and calm by law.
- Platform
- Native macOS 14+ app — Swift & SwiftUI, a menu-bar app with always-on, click-through overlays.
- Detection
- Screen capture is downscaled and classified by AI; no screenshot or recording history is ever retained.
- Your data
- Analytics, tasks, and history live locally on your Mac. Email connects over OAuth — no passwords stored.
- Your AI
- Bring your own provider key (Anthropic, OpenAI-compatible, Gemini, or Mimo). No vendor lock-in.
- Calm law
- Every feature is opt-in by default and every animation respects Reduce Motion.
on the roadmap
Honest about what's next.
Planned, not yet shipped — listed so you know exactly where the product is.
frequently asked
SuperNudge, answered plainly.
What is SuperNudge?
How is it different from a Pomodoro timer or other focus apps?
Is it private? Where is my data stored?
What platforms does it support?
Is SuperNudge good for ADHD?
Focus that works with your brain, not against it.
SuperNudge is in active development. Ask for early access and I'll keep you posted as builds ship.