A friendly guide to getting started
First Step is designed to be simple enough that you might not need this page at all. But if you want a few pointers, or if you're having one of those days, you're in the right place.
Getting started
Your first task takes about 30 seconds. No planning needed. Just type what's on your mind.
Type what you need to do
Open the app and type something in the capture bar. Something like "Clean the kitchen" or "Reply to that email." Don't worry about being specific. The AI handles the details.
Wait a few seconds
First Step's AI immediately breaks your task into small, timed steps. You'll see a brief "generating steps..." indicator. Usually takes just a moment.
Tap the task, then "Start Focus"
Tap your task to see the steps. When you're ready, hit Start Focus. A brief countdown eases you in, then the timer shows you just one step at a time. Nothing else. When you finish that step, the next one gently appears.
Ways to work
There's no right way to use First Step. Here are a few paths. Use whichever feels natural.
One task at a time
Type a task in the capture bar. AI breaks it down immediately. Best when you know exactly what you need to do.
Best for: A clear, specific taskGet it all out
Open Brain Dump and pour out everything on your mind. Type or speak. The AI finds the real tasks hiding in the mess. You choose which ones to keep.
Best for: Feeling overwhelmed or scatteredRepeat what works
Save a sequence of tasks you do regularly: morning routine, weekly review, meal prep. One tap creates them all. You can build routines from Brain Dump or the Library.
Best for: Recurring workflowsSave what worked
Finished a task and liked the breakdown? Save it as a template. Next time, create a new task from that template. The steps are already there.
Best for: Similar tasks with similar structureMix it up
Select 2–5 tasks and let AI weave their steps together into one session. Great for days when switching between things keeps you moving.
Best for: Variety and momentumMy Day
Some days you know what to do but not when to do it. My Day builds a realistic schedule around your energy, so you don't have to plan. Just follow along.
Tell the app how you're feeling
Open My Day
Tap the My Day tab. The morning check-in asks what's on your plate today: work, meals, self-care, errands, rest. Toggle what applies.
Set your energy level
Choose how full you want your day: Bare Minimum, Gentle, or Standard. This tells the AI how much to schedule and how much breathing room to leave.
Tap "Build My Day"
The AI creates a schedule from your tasks, weaving in breaks and buffer time. It takes just a few seconds.
Two ways to see your day
Timeline view
See your day as time-slotted blocks like 9:00 Reply to emails, 9:30 Clean kitchen, 10:15 Break. Drag to reorder, resize blocks if something takes longer. Great if you like structure.
NOW / NEXT / LATER
Prefer something simpler? Switch to the lite view. It just shows what to do now, what's next, and what's later. No times, no pressure.
Reschedule anytime
Plans change, and that's fine. Tap Reschedule to regenerate the remaining blocks. What you've already done stays. The AI adapts your afternoon to your morning.
When starting feels hard
This is what First Step was built for. Not productivity hacks. Not optimization. Just help for that moment when you know what to do but can't begin.
You know the task. Your body won't move.
These features are designed for exactly this feeling.
Use "Just 2 minutes"
On the task detail screen, tap "Just 2 minutes." You don't have to commit to finishing. Just two minutes. Most of the time, starting is the hardest part. Once you're moving, you'll keep going.
Turn on Focus Buddy
Sometimes the problem isn't the task, it's doing it alone. Enable Focus Buddy in your focus session for a simulated co-working companion. The feeling of someone else being "in the room" can be enough to break through.
Look at one step, not the whole task
The focus timer only shows you the current step. If looking at the full task feels heavy, skip the detail screen. Just tap Start Focus from the inbox. You don't need to see the whole mountain. Just the next foothold.
Regenerate the steps
Sometimes the AI-generated steps don't feel right. Tap the regenerate button (up to 3 times per task) to get a different breakdown. Or manually edit the steps to match what feels doable right now.
Everything feels equally important (or equally hard).
When the problem isn't motivation but having too many options, try these.
Tap "I don't know where to start"
When you have 2+ tasks, this button appears. Tap it. The AI considers what's easiest, what builds momentum, and what makes sense right now, then picks one for you and explains why. If it doesn't feel right, dismiss it and it stays cached for later.
Add some life context
Go to Settings → About You and write a short description of your situation (up to 400 characters). Something like "I work from home, mornings are tough, I have ADHD." This helps the AI give you better suggestions and more relevant step breakdowns.
Shrink your inbox
If your inbox feels crowded, swipe tasks to the backlog. Nothing is deleted. You can pull them back anytime. You can also set tasks to auto-archive after 3, 7, or 14 days of inactivity. A shorter list is easier to choose from.
Some days you have less. That's not failure. That's Tuesday.
First Step has a whole mode for these days.
Turn on Low-Energy Mode
Go to Settings → Low-Energy Mode and toggle it on.
Your inbox simplifies
Only your easiest tasks with ready steps will show. Everything else is temporarily hidden. Still safe, just out of view.
Steps shrink to 30–90 seconds
Tap "Convert to tiny steps" on any task. The AI rewrites the plan into micro-steps. The original plan is saved. You can switch back anytime.
On days when nothing feels like enough, open your Celebrations scrapbook. Every task you've ever completed is saved there. You might be surprised at how much you've actually accomplished.
Starting is the accomplishment. You don't need to finish. You don't need to do it well. If all you did today was open the app and press play on one step, that counts.
Apple Watch
Put your phone in another room. The full focus experience lives on your wrist. No distractions a swipe away.
Getting connected
Install the watch app
Open the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll to Available Apps, and tap Install next to First Step.
Sign in on your iPhone first
Make sure you're signed into First Step on your iPhone. Your login credentials are automatically sent to your watch within a few seconds.
Open the app on your watch
Open First Step on your Apple Watch. You should see your inbox with your tasks. If something looks wrong, try the troubleshooting steps below.
If your watch isn't syncing
Sometimes the initial connection needs a nudge. Try these in order:
Your iPhone and Apple Watch communicate over Bluetooth. Make sure it's enabled in iPhone Settings.
During initial setup, keep your iPhone and Apple Watch close together in Bluetooth range.
In the First Step app on iPhone, go to Settings → Apple Watch and tap Sync Now.
Press the side button on your watch, swipe up on First Step to close it, then reopen it.
As a last resort, sign out of First Step on your iPhone and sign back in. This triggers a fresh credential transfer.
The focus timer on your wrist
Browse & pick a task
Your inbox appears on the watch with task titles, emoji, and status badges. Scroll through, tap a task to see its steps. You can also use "I don't know where to start" right from your wrist.
Start a focus session
Tap Start Focus to begin. You'll see a circular progress ring with the timer, the current step, and controls to mark it done, skip, or add more time.
Seamless handoff
Start a session on your phone, then raise your wrist. The watch picks up where you left off. Or start on your watch and continue on your phone. The sync is automatic.
Screen stays on
During a focus session, the watch keeps the screen on so you can always see your current step and timer without raising your wrist.
You've got this.
You don't need to remember everything on this page. Just open the app, type one thing, and press start. That's the whole plan.
Download on the App Store