Youtuber Hank Green’s new app Focus Friend has surged to No.1 on Apple’s free app chart this week, surpassing AI titan ChatGPT, as well as Google and Threads.
"This doesn’t seem possible,” the 45-yea-old established content creator, known for his educational videos and Vlogbrothers channel, captioned a TikTok featuring a screenshot of the accomplishment on Wednesday (August 20).
Focus Friend: The bean that keeps you on track
With over 500,000 downloads on Google Play, the ADHD-friendly focus timer app is designed to help users reclaim their attention in a playful, mindful way.
The app restricts distractions and gamifies productivity using a customizable, smiley “bean” character that knits rewards when tasks are completed.
The longer users concentrate, the more socks or scarves their bean produces, which can then be traded for decorations to customize the bean’s room.
Focus Friend was launched in July but exploded in popularity this week when Green and his brother, famous young adult author John Green, ramped up social media posts about it to their millions of followers.
In a TikTok video, Hank posted this Monday (August 18), explaining: “It's about letting people to be in control of their attention, not selling their attention to someone else.”
While John Green appeared in a Vlogbrothers video captioned: “The Problem with My Brother’s Hit New App” on Tuesday.
The Green brothers have been making YouTube videos since 2007.
In 2012 they launched the educational Crash Course channel on the platform, which now have over 16 million subscribers.
Well, Hank Green is on par with his brother John Green, and has over 2.47 million subscribers on his solo YouTube channel.