Now in public beta — be among the first
Focus on three things. Not thirty.
Three shows you only three tasks at a time, with automatic time estimates and a focus timer. Finish them, the next three appear. Less noise, more done.
See it in action
A focused “today” list, and a calm place to manage everything else.
Why Three?
Three at a time
Focus on what matters now — the rest waits its turn.
Auto time estimates
Each task gets a quick time guess so you can plan your day.
Local‑first & private
Works fully offline. Your tasks live on your device.
Optional sync
Create a free account to back up and sync across devices.
Why three works
Three is built on a simple idea with deep roots in attention and decision‑making research. A few of the findings that inspired it:
Working memory is small
People can only hold a handful of things in mind at once. Keeping the active list to three stays within that limit instead of overflowing it.
Miller (1956); Cowan (2001) — working‑memory capacity ≈ 4 items.
Switching tasks has a cost
Studies suggest as much as 40% of productive time can be lost when juggling tasks. Three keeps you on one small set until it’s cleared.
Rubinstein, Meyer & Evans (2001); APA summary — the cost of task‑switching.
Unfinished tasks nag at you
Open loops linger in the mind and create low‑grade tension. Finishing your three before the next appear helps you close them.
Zeigarnik (1927) — the Zeigarnik effect.
Fewer choices, more action
In a classic study, 30% of shoppers bought when offered 6 options — versus just 3% with 24. Three trims the menu so you just start.
Iyengar & Lepper (2000) — choice overload (the “jam study”).
These are general findings from cognitive science, not claims about Three specifically — they’re simply the ideas that shaped its design.
Support the developer
Three — Focus is free and ad‑free. If it helps you focus, you can buy the developer a coffee — totally optional, and it never unlocks anything.
Name your own amount →Prefer to chip in monthly?
Frequently asked questions
Is Three free?
Yes. Three is completely free with no ads. An optional “buy the developer a coffee” tip helps support ongoing development, but it never unlocks anything.
How do I get early access?
Tap Get early access on TestFlight to install the public beta on your iPhone. Once Three is on the App Store, this button will link there.
Do I need an account?
No. Three works fully offline and stores your tasks on your device. Creating a free account is optional — it just backs up and syncs your tasks across devices.
Is my data private?
Your tasks live locally on your device by default. If you opt into sync, they are stored securely so you can access them on another device. We don’t sell your data.
What are the time estimates?
Three automatically suggests a quick time estimate for each task so you can plan your day. You can adjust it with a tap when editing a task, or just ignore it.
Can I show more or fewer than three tasks?
Three shows three by default — it’s the sweet spot for focus. If you’d like, you can set your focus limit anywhere from one to five in settings. The default (and the whole idea) is three.
What platforms are supported?
Three is an iOS app for iPhone and iPad. Android support may come later.
About
Three — Focus is built by NowLanguage, LLC. It helps you cut through a long to‑do list by showing only a few tasks at a time.
Contact
Questions or support: support@nowlanguage.com