Starting Your First Session

1. Choose your duration - Drag left or right anywhere on screen (5-95 minutes)

2. Tap to start - Your session begins and Momotaro smiles

3. Focus in your way - The timer continues even if you lock your phone or switch apps

That's it. Simple, flexible focus.

How to Use Momotaro

Choosing Your Session Length

Drag your finger left or right anywhere on the screen. You'll see the time change in real-time, from 5 to 95 minutes in 5-minute steps. The default is 30 minutes—perfect for deep work.

Starting Your Timer

When you're ready, tap anywhere on the screen. Momotaro smiles, and your session begins. You'll feel three quick haptic pulses confirming the start.

During Your Session

The timer keeps running even if you:

• Lock your phone

• Switch to other apps

• Take a call

• Check messages

Your focus session continues accurately in the background. When you return to Momotaro, you'll see the updated time—or a celebration screen if your session completed while you were away.

If you need to stop early: Hold your finger on the screen for about 1.2 seconds. You'll see a progress indicator—keep holding until it completes and the timer cancels.

Note: There's no pause button. Once you start a session, it runs until completion or cancellation. This design encourages commitment to your focus practice.

When Your Session Completes

Momotaro winks at you! A celebration screen appears showing:

• Your session stats

• Progress toward your next theme unlock

• A moment of acknowledgment for your focus

The screen auto-dismisses after 3 seconds (or tap to dismiss immediately).

If you completed a session while using another app, you'll get a notification and see the celebration when you return to Momotaro.

Unlocking Themes

Every completed session adds to your total focus minutes. As you reach milestones, you unlock new color themes:

Total MinutesTheme Unlocked0 (Start)Classic (warm peach)0 (Start)Pastel Pink (soft pink)60Moss (earthy green)120Ocean (deep blue)180Sunset (warm orange)240Twilight (purple dusk)300Pure (clean white)360Pale (gentle pastels)

To change themes: Open Settings → Color Theme → Tap any unlocked theme

When you unlock a new theme, you'll see "🎉 New Theme Unlocked!" in your session complete screen. Each theme transforms the entire app's appearance, including the app icon on your home screen.

Tracking Your Progress

Tap the Stats button in Settings to see:

• Today: Sessions completed and minutes focused

• This Week: A visual calendar showing which days you practiced

• All Time: Total sessions, total minutes, and average session length

• Streaks: Current streak and your longest streak (consecutive days with at least one session)

Understanding Streaks

Complete at least one session each day to maintain your streak. The weekly calendar shows your consistency with filled circles for completed days.

Settings & Customization

Audio

Pink Noise - Toggle atmospheric background sound during sessions. Pink noise is designed to help you focus and blocks out distractions. It mixes naturally with other audio, so you can listen to music or podcasts while it plays.

Display

• Keep Screen On - Prevents your screen from timing out during sessions (useful if you like to see the timer countdown)

• Appearance - Choose between System, Light, or Dark mode

• Visual Effects - Toggle animations and glow effects (iOS 26 includes new Liquid Glass effects)

Focus Mode Integration

Momotaro can work with iOS Focus modes. When enabled, the app monitors your Focus status during sessions. This requires one-time permission.

Using the Widget

Add the Momotaro widget to your home screen for quick access:

When Idle: Shows Momotaro's neutral face. Tap to start your default timer (opens the app).

When Running: Shows a circular progress ring with percentage. Tap to open the app and see full countdown.

When Complete: Momotaro winks for 4 seconds, then returns to idle state.

The widget updates every 30 seconds during active sessions.

Live Activity & Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro+)

When you start a timer, a Live Activity appears on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island showing:

• Circular progress bar

• Percentage complete

• Time remaining

Dynamic Island states:

• Compact: Momotaro character + percentage

• Expanded: Full progress visualization

The Live Activity automatically dismisses 5 minutes after session completion.

Tips for Best Results

1. Start with 25-30 minutes - This is the sweet spot for focused work

2. Use pink noise - It helps mask distractions and signals "focus time" to your brain

3. Check your streaks - Daily consistency matters more than long individual sessions

4. Unlock all themes - It only takes 360 total minutes (twelve 30-minute sessions)

5. Try different durations - Some tasks need 10 minutes, others need 50

Requirements

• iOS 16.3 or later

• iPhone (optimized for all screen sizes including iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island)