Getting Started With CadenceAI

CadenceAI is an AI-powered focus and Pomodoro timer for iOS and Android — but as the tagline says, it's "not another Pomodoro app." Instead of dropping you into a bare 25-minute clock, it learns how you work and recommends a rhythm that fits. This guide walks you through your first launch, the 4-question setup, and starting your first session.

Step 1: Install and open the app

1. Download CadenceAI from the App Store or Google Play. The download is free and includes the Pomodoro 25/5 method.
2. Open the app. You can begin right away in guest mode — no account or email required.
3. Pick your language (16 are supported) and light or dark theme if prompted. You can change both later in Settings.

Step 2: Answer the 4-question setup

On first launch, CadenceAI asks 4 quick questions about how you focus — the kind of work you do, how long you can concentrate, and what tends to derail you. Your answers feed straight into a recommendation.

1. Tap through each of the 4 questions and choose the option that best describes you.
2. At the end, CadenceAI recommends a focus method matched to your answers — for example Pomodoro 25/5 for shorter bursts or Deep 50/10 for longer stretches.
3. Accept the recommendation to get going, or tap to browse all six methods yourself.

Step 3: Start your first session

1. From the timer screen, confirm the method shown (you can tap to switch it any time).
2. Optionally add a task so the session is linked to what you're working on — this feeds your stats later.
3. Press Start. The timer runs your focus interval, then prompts your break. Finish the session and you'll plant a growing tree; quit early and it wilts, which is a gentle nudge to see it through.

While a session runs you can mix ambient sounds, switch to an animated timer theme, and — on iOS — glance at progress in the Dynamic Island or a Live Activity. When the interval ends, the app guides you into your break so you're not left staring at a stopped clock.

Guest mode vs. creating an account

You never have to sign in to use CadenceAI. In guest mode, your sessions, stats, and settings are saved and synced to the cloud on the device you're using. If you later create an account, that guest data merges into your account automatically — nothing is lost.

Creating an account (via email, Apple, Google, or GitHub) is worth it when you want features that are inherently connected: global leaderboards, study rooms, and linking Spotify. For a full breakdown, see Accounts, Sync & Sign-In.

What to explore next

Once you've run a few sessions, the AI Coach starts surfacing weekly insights — your best focus hours, distraction patterns, and whether your current method still fits. From there you can plant earned trees on Your Island, set up the app blocker, or wind down at night with a rain scene and 4-7-8 breathing. Take it one session at a time.