Make your computer a place for work again
A distraction blocker that works on the device where you do real work
Talysman is a unique distraction blocker that only lets you turn it off if you have a paired USB drive inserted. This lets you create a physical barrier between you and everything else trying to steal your focus. Use any USB drive you already own.
Free forever for 5 sites · or try Pro free for 14 days
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Chrome
- Firefox
You've already tried blocking distractions
You installed the browser extensions. You set the timers. But they never stuck.
The work got hard, you disabled the blocker, and YouTube was open again before you had consciously decided to stop working.
The blocker did exactly what you told it to. The problem isn't that it can't block websites — it's that quitting is still one click away.
The off switch is the problem
Every other blocker is controlled from the computer it's supposed to be protecting. The distracted version of you can undo the decision the focused version made ten minutes ago, with the same mouse, in the same three clicks.
Talysman moves that decision into the physical world. Turning off the blocker means going and getting your key — still possible when you genuinely need to stop, no longer effortless enough to happen on autopilot.
It doesn't ask you to have more discipline. It gives the version of you that was thinking clearly some leverage over the one who shows up when the work gets hard.
- Every other blocker
- The urge hits
- Click “End session”
- The afternoon is gone
- Talysman
- The urge hits
- Get up and go get the key
- Decide whether you meant it
Easy to use
Pair any USB drive
Install Talysman and pair a USB drive you already own. That drive becomes your physical key. Pair as many as you like — any one of them unlocks.
Choose what gets blocked
Block distracting websites, close the desktop apps that pull you away, or allow only the tools you need. Start a session now, or protect the same hours every week.
Unplug the key
Put it in another room, a drawer, your car. The block holds until the session ends. To quit early, you have to physically go get it.
Stay focused even when the work gets hard
Starting a focus session is easy. The hard part arrives twenty minutes later, when the work turns boring or frustrating and your hands start looking for an exit.
- Finish the hard coding session
- Write past the part that isn't fun
- Study without renegotiating
- Defend the same hours every week
Block distractions without blocking your work
Pick how strict the session needs to be — a handful of sites, only the tools the job needs, or nothing online at all.
Keep YouTube and Reddit out of reach
Website blocking runs below the browser, in a privileged background service. Closing the app window doesn't lift it.
Close the apps that pull you away
Desktop apps are blocked too, not just tabs. Discord and Steam don't get to be the loophole.
Protect your best hours automatically
Set recurring windows and the block arms itself — even if the app is closed and you never remember to start it.
Stop one impulsive click from ending the session
Turning focus off asks the service to physically verify your paired key. No key in the machine, no unlock.
Turn your computer into a workstation
Allow-only mode blocks everything except the tools the job actually needs. A work computer without buying a second computer.
Free, forever
5 blocked websites, allow-only and block-all modes, manual focus sessions, and the key requirement to end one early.
Pro
Unlimited sites, desktop app blocking, recurring schedules that arm themselves, and unlimited profiles — the parts that turn one good session into a repeatable week.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use any USB drive?
Yes — a standard drive you already own. Nothing to buy, nothing to ship.
You can pair as many drives as you like. Any one of them unlocks, which is also the answer to losing one — pair a spare now and keep it somewhere safe.
Can't I just quit the app, restart, or uninstall during a session?
No. Closing the app changes nothing. The service restarts itself if it is killed, comes back after a reboot with the session intact, and the uninstaller refuses to remove it while focus is active unless a paired key is present.
Does Talysman see or store my browsing history?
No. The browser extension turns your blocklist into browser-native rules that the browser evaluates internally. The extension never receives the URLs you visit, your history, page content, search terms, cookies, or form data — and it makes no internet requests of its own. The block page doesn't even see which address was blocked.
Your blocklist stays on your computer. Details are in the extension privacy policy and the main privacy policy.
Can one key work across multiple computers?
Yes. Pair the same drive on each machine you install Talysman on. Each computer keeps its own list of paired keys, so one drive can unlock your laptop and your desktop.
What does it cost?
Free covers 5 blocked websites and unlimited manual focus sessions, with no card and no time limit. Pro is $8.33/month billed annually, or $10 billed monthly, and adds app blocking, recurring schedules, unlimited sites and unlimited profiles. New accounts get 14 days of Pro free — see pricing.
Which computers and browsers are supported?
Windows 10 and 11, macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, and Debian/Ubuntu Linux, with extensions for Chrome and Firefox. See the downloads.
Take back your attention and go fulfill your destiny.
Start focusing freeFree forever, no card. Want schedules and app blocking? Try Pro free for 14 days.