In short: The hardest part is getting started. The focus timer takes one step at a time, starts with a small two-minute step and suggests a break when it's time.
1. Start homework
Tap Start homework under Today on Homework – or at the Homework routine in Doing. If nothing is planned today, it says Do homework now instead. Each homework in the list also has its own Start button, so you can go straight to it.
The focus page asks What do you want to work on? Choose between:
- Today's plan: today's steps from the homework plan.
- One of your open homework tasks: the one due first is at the top.
- Free focus timer: for something that isn't registered, e.g. reading or practice. Enter the subject, optionally what you'll do, and pick 10–45 minutes. It's saved as homework, so it counts towards points and your streak too.
Below the choice you see the steps and the total time. If the first step is a first small step, it's shown at the top, so it's clear where to begin.
2. One step at a time
Tap Start. The timer counts down from the step's minutes and shows which subject and step you're on.
- Step done: tap when you've finished – also before time.
- Pause: stops the clock if you're interrupted. Tap Continue to carry on.
- Skip: saves the step for later. It isn't ticked off.
- Running over: if the countdown goes below zero, it says that's completely fine. The time is used to make the plan smarter.
3. How did it go?
When a step is done, Morgenrutine asks How did it go? Choose Good, Okay or Hard with one tap – or skip. The answer is saved together with the time and what came just before. That's what Morgenrutine learns from.
4. Breaks and finishing
After the focus time (20 minutes by default), the timer suggests a short break with a countdown before the next step. When all steps are done, Morgenrutine shows how many steps were done and how many points they earned. To carry on with another homework task, tap Choose next homework.
Focus time and break are set under Settings → Homework → Focus timer.
On iPhone
While the focus timer runs in the iPhone app, the countdown shows on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island, and you can tap Step done without opening the app. The Next homework widget shows the day's next step on the home screen.
If you start focus in the web app, the countdown also appears on your own iPhone. Pause, next step and finishing follow along, and if you tap Step done on the iPhone, the web app moves on to the next step by itself. If a parent starts focus for a child, it's the child's iPhone that gets the countdown. “Homework as a Live Activity” and “Show Live Activity on this device” must be turned on in the app – see Turn Siri and Live Activity on or off.
Good advice
- Start with the small step. Two minutes is enough to get over the threshold.
- Put the phone away – or use it only for the timer.
- Answer the mood question. After about ten focus sessions, Morgenrutine can show when things go best.