First Time Setup
Hugo walks you through this in under two minutes. Three permissions, then you're in.
Accessibility lets Hugo manage your app windows during sessions. System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility. Toggle Hugo on.
Automation lets Hugo read and manage your browser tabs in real time. Same place, one section down.
Hugo Bridge for Chrome is the extension that connects Hugo to your browser. Install it from the Chrome Web Store. If you use Safari, skip this. Safari works natively.
Once all three are green, you're ready to run your first session.
Starting a Session
Three steps. Select, pick a mode, set a timer.
1. Select what you need
Hugo shows every running app and open browser tab. Check the ones that are on task. Everything else gets handled.
Use the search bar to find things fast. Select All and Deselect All are there if you want a clean slate.
2. Pick your mode
Five modes. Each one works differently depending on what kind of session you need.
3. Set your duration
Pick a preset (10, 25, 60, or 120 minutes) or dial in something custom. Then start.
Setting Session Goals
In Hugo AI mode, your goals are everything. They're the context Hugo uses to make every decision during your session.
You can set 1 to 3 goals before starting. Be specific.
"Work on dissertation" is fine. "Write the methodology section of chapter 3" is better. The more specific you are, the sharper Hugo's decisions get.
Goals also show up in your session history and on your share cards, so you can track what you actually set out to do vs. what you finished.
During a Session
A large timer counts down. A progress ring fills. The session mode and enforcement status are always visible. Green pulsing dot means Hugo is active.
What happens when you go off task
Deep Work and Pomodoro. Hugo shows the URL you tried to open and asks: "Why do you need this tab?" You write a short justification and confirm. Hugo lets you through, but having to articulate the reason is usually enough to snap you out of autopilot. That's the justification loop. It's not a cage. It's a checkpoint.
Hugo AI. Smoother. Hugo evaluates the tab against your session goals and decides. If it's clearly on task, the tab opens and you never notice. If it's off task, Hugo quietly closes it and shows a small notification with an Undo button in case it got it wrong. If the AI isn't sure, it asks you a quick question instead of making the call alone.
Research. Anything on your blocklist gets closed in the background. No overlay, no questions. Just gone.
Switching modes mid-session
If Hugo notices you rapidly opening multiple tabs during Deep Work or Pomodoro, it'll offer to switch you to Research mode. Your timer keeps running. Your blocklist stays active. But new tabs open freely. You can switch back to your original mode at any time.
Ending early
Click "End Session Early" at the bottom. Hugo asks you to confirm. That's it.
When a Session Ends
Hugo shows your stats.
Time protected. How long you stayed locked in.
Interruptions caught. How many times something tried to pull you off task (or how many decisions Hugo AI made for you).
Streak. Your consecutive days of completed sessions.
If you set goals, Hugo asks how you did. Fully achieved, partially, or not quite. This feeds into your Insights over time, so you can see your actual goal completion rate.
From here you can share your session, check your history, or start the next one.
Projects
Same apps and tabs every morning? Save them as a Project.
Go to the Projects tab. Click Create Project. Give it a name and an emoji. Hugo saves your entire selection, plus the session mode and duration you used last time.
Next time, click the project. Everything loads. You're locked in within seconds.
This is especially useful if your work shifts between contexts. A "Writing" project with just your editor and reference tabs. A "Design" project with Figma, your browser, and Slack. A "Deep Research" project with everything open except your blocklist.
One click per context switch. No re-selecting.
History and Insights
Every session gets saved. You can browse past sessions to see when you locked in, how long, what mode, and how many times Hugo stepped in.
Insights (Pro) goes deeper. After three sessions, patterns start showing up:
Weekly overview. A chart of your daily focus time with week-over-week trends. See exactly how this week compares to last.
Peak performance. Which days and times you do your best work. Useful for scheduling around your natural rhythm.
Top distractors. The sites and apps that pull you off task most often. No guessing. Data.
Favourite mode. Which session type you complete most consistently.
Goal success rate. How often you finish what you set out to do.
These update weekly. Check them.
Weekly Reviews
Once a week (Sunday evening by default), Hugo offers a snapshot of your week. Total sessions, focus time, goals hit, current streak.
You can write short reflections if you want. Your proudest win, what helped you focus, and your priority for next week. These get saved alongside your stats.
You can share your weekly summary as a card if you want public accountability. You can change the day and time in Settings.
Keyboard Shortcuts
The whole app works from the keyboard.
In the mode picker, arrow keys switch modes. In the duration picker, up/down adjusts by one minute, left/right jumps between presets.
Free vs. Pro
Hugo works on the free tier. Pro unlocks the full environment.
You can start a 14-day free trial of Pro from inside the app.
Get More Out of Hugo
AI-Powered Focus
The focus app that thinks for you.
Hugo sits between you and distraction. It hides your apps, locks down your browser, and uses AI to silently decide if what you're opening is actually work - so you never have to burn willpower again.