Building TinyPomo 1.4: rest is now part of the game
I made this: TinyPomo, a focus timer for iPhone that builds a space colony.
Here is the short version of this post. TinyPomo 1.4 is out, and it changes one big idea. Focus used to be the only thing that paid. Now rest pays too.
Version 1.4.0 went live on the App Store on 28 October 2026. It is free to download. You can see it at tinypomo.app.
The problem I wanted to fix
In earlier versions, the loop was simple. You run a focus mission of 5, 25 or 45 minutes. When it ends, you earn credits. You spend those credits to build your Moon base.
That loop worked. But it only rewarded one part of the day.
A timer that only rewards work sends a quiet message. It says the break is wasted time. I did not want my app to say that.
So the goal for 1.4 was clear. Make the rest of the day count, without turning it into a chore.
Breaks that pay
The first change is the simplest one. If you take the whole break, you earn credits.
A short break earns +10. A long break earns +30.
Skipping a break is always allowed. Nothing is lost if you do. I was careful about that. I did not want a new rule that punishes people.
There is also a bonus on the focus side, called Radio Dark. If you stay in TinyPomo for the whole mission, you earn 20% more. A quick glance at your phone is fine. Locking your phone is fine too. It is a small nudge, not a trap.
Oxygen Cycle
The second change is a breathing session called Oxygen Cycle.
You see stars and Earth on the screen. A calm ship sound rises and falls as you breathe. The sound is generated in the app, so it is not a looping track.
Oxygen Cycle is free. I wanted it to fit the story, so it feels like part of life on the ship and not a separate tool bolted on.
Crew Habits
The biggest new feature is Crew Habits. It is an optional one-time unlock, with no subscription.
It adds four habits, and each one earns credits for your base.
Mission Log asks you to write one line a day. That earns +15, and a full week earns +50.
Crew Rest rewards sleep. Sleep 7 hours and you earn +30.
Oxygen Cycle and mindful minutes earn up to 30 a day.
Water Ration lets you tap one glass at a time. Eight glasses fills the tank and earns +25.
Sleep, mindful minutes and steps come from Apple Health. The app only reads them. It never writes to Health, and the data stays on your phone.
That last point mattered a lot to me. TinyPomo has no accounts, no logins and no backend. Adding health data did not change that. If anything, it made me more strict about it.
Five Mars chapters
The story got a big step forward too.
The free Moon campaign follows a dormant beacon buried under the lunar ice. It leads to a star map that points at Mars.
In 1.4, Mars now has five chapters. You land colonists, build a settlement and find four alien relics. You decode each relic and bring it online as a new module in your colony.
The Mars story ends at a wormhole Gate. Nobody knows where it goes yet. That is on purpose. There is more story to come.
The Mars Program is an optional one-time unlock. The Moon campaign, breaks, Radio Dark and Oxygen Cycle stay free with no time limit.
Always-on mode
The last feature is small.
Always-on mode keeps the screen awake while you focus. After a minute, it dims to a low-power standby screen. So you can leave your phone on the desk and still see the mission.
This sits next to the Live Activity and Dynamic Island countdown, and the three home-screen widgets.
How I build as one person
I am an indie iOS developer. TinyPomo is just me.
But I do not work alone anymore. I use a small team of AI agents for the work around the app. One helps with video. One helps with design. One helps with social posts. One helps with writing, like the first draft of this post.
The agents do the busy work. I make the calls. Nothing goes out under my name until I have read it and said yes.
That split is what lets one person ship a release like 1.4. It has a new reward loop, a new habits pack, five story chapters and a new screen mode. Without help on the marketing side, I would still be writing release notes.
The rule I keep coming back to is simple. Agents can draft. Only I can approve.
What I learned from 1.4
The main lesson is about tone.
It is easy to add streaks and red badges and guilt. Many habit apps do. TinyPomo goes the other way. There is no streak-shaming and no guilt notifications. Nothing is lost for skipping a break or missing a day.
Rewards should feel like a thank-you, not a bill.
Try it
TinyPomo 1.4 is free on iPhone. The Moon campaign is free, and the unlocks are optional and one-time.
If you try it, I would love to hear what you build.