GoKawiilUsing the bar is straightforward. Physical switches on top let you swap through settings and change timer increments. The big switch at the top is the Start/Pause button, which launches a focus timer or pauses it. The buttons are great, all very tactile and clicky. I find myself wanting to hit pause more often than I should, just to be able to slap that big switch again.
That physicality is the entire selling point of the Busy Bar. Your devices probably already have focus modes baked into them, available on both Apple and Android smartphones. Physical productivity devices offer the idea that software limitations can do only so much to pull you away from your phone. Devices like Brick let you shut off distracting apps on your phone by tapping your phone on the NFC-enabled tag. The Busy Bar incorporates those kinds of blocks as well, letting the bar sync to your device via Bluetooth. It is also Matter-certified and can work with smart home devices to trigger your lights or music—maybe even close the shades so you can zone in.
It works well, though it takes a bit to set up those capabilities. You’ll need a device connected to Matter, like a Google Nest hub or something that supports Home Assistant. Turning off notifications on your phone or desktop requires downloading the app and linking the device. Once you set all this up, the Busy Bar can be triggered via automations in a smart home system. I didn't go the smart-home route, but I did set up an automation that activates the Busy mode when my computer mic is live, letting everyone nearby know I’m on a call.
The company says the idea came from Flipper CEO Pavel Zhovner, who wanted a way to tell people he was, well, busy before they barged into his office. CEOs aiming to let people know when not to bother them seem to be the target audience for the Busy Bar. Depending on your office setup, you might have different results (you can mount it to a wall outside your office, too). But this device doesn’t quite seem to solve the problem the way just slapping on a pair of over-the-ear headphones does.