Ponderer
Your hours slip away.
Take them back.
✕ Stuck in the doomscroll
Hours of screen time. Nothing to show.
✓ Calm and in control
Mindful focus. Every minute grows something.
Focus, and a koi grows.
A gamified focus timer for study sessions, Pomodoro blocks and deep work.
Start a session
10 to 120 minutes. Phone down.
Give up, it swims away
Stay with it, and it stays with you.
Finish, it joins your pond
And you earn pearls.
A friend who cheers you back.
Pick up your phone mid-session and your koi gently nudges you back to focus.
Collect koi.
Build your garden.
27 koi varieties. Lanterns, bridges, a teahouse and more, all paid for in focus.
See the hours you’ve won back.
Focus time today, this week and all time. Screen time won back, streaks and goals that feel good to keep.
Your pond is yours.
Private by design.
No tracking. No ads. Just you and your pond.
Good to know.
What is Ponderer?
Ponderer is a focus timer app for iPhone. You start a session and put your phone down, and a koi grows in your own 3D pond. Finished sessions earn pearls, which you spend on new koi and Japanese garden pieces.
How is Ponderer different from other focus apps?
Instead of a simple icon or picture, you raise koi in a living 3D pond that you can feed, watch from any angle and decorate with a Japanese garden. Your koi also cheers you on if you pick up your phone mid-session.
Is Ponderer free?
Yes. The focus timer, koi, pearls, garden shop and stats are free. Pond+ adds extra waters, seasons, 2× pearls and the Heart Kohaku. Pond+ is optional: $2.99 a month, or $19.99 a year with a 7-day free trial. Launch offer: lifetime Pond+ for $29.99 (regular price $39.99). Prices may vary by region.
Does Ponderer work for studying and Pomodoro?
Yes. Sessions run from 10 to 120 minutes, so you can use classic 25-minute Pomodoro blocks or longer deep-work sessions, and track the hours in Stats.
Can Ponderer help me stop doomscrolling?
Yes, that is what it is built for. Start a session, put your phone down, and your koi grows only while you stay away. If you pick your phone up, your koi gently nudges you back, so breaking the scroll habit feels rewarding instead of strict.
Is Ponderer a good focus app for students?
Yes. Use it as a study timer for homework, revision or essays, in 25-minute Pomodoro blocks or longer study sessions up to 120 minutes. Your stats show the hours you studied each day and week.
Is Ponderer a digital detox or screen time app?
It is a gentle digital detox that rewards time away from your phone. Each session cuts screen time, and your stats show the focus time you have won back.
Is Ponderer a mindfulness app?
It is a calm, mindful take on productivity. The pond, koi and soft sounds help you settle into focus, without noisy notifications. It is not a meditation app.
What happens if I leave the app during a session?
If you come back quickly, your koi says hello and the session carries on. If you give up the session, the little koi swims away instead of joining your pond.
When is Ponderer available?
Ponderer is coming to the App Store for iPhone in early 2027. You can pre-order it now and it will download automatically on release day.
Take back your time.
Your phone-free focus timer. Pre-order now and it lands on your iPhone on release day.
Pre-order on theApp Store