Create your first Aura

Learn how to create your first focus Aura in AuraLock, step by step — from purpose to the moment you press Enter Aura.

An Aura is a focused phone environment. It has four parts: a purpose, a set of apps that stay alive, a duration, and a boundary. This guide walks through creating your first one. No prior setup is needed. You can follow along with the steps below.

Open Aura creation

From the AuraLock home screen, tap the Create Aura button. If this is your first time, the app also offers one-tap template Auras on Home so you can start a session immediately and learn by doing.

Choose what matters

Every Aura starts with a purpose. Select a preset — Deep Work, Study, Health & Fitness, Family Time, Personal Time — or create a Custom purpose. The purpose becomes your Aura's name and the message shown on the lock screen.

Select what stays alive

Search your installed apps and tap each one you need during this Aura. A live counter always shows how many apps stay alive. On the free plan you can keep up to 3 apps alive; AuraLock Pro allows unlimited.

Set your duration

Choose from named durations: Sprint (10 min), Pomodoro (25 min), Deep Work (45 min), Flow (60 min), or Block (2 hours). Behind the "More" chip you'll find extended durations up to a year. Free sessions cap at 60 minutes; longer durations unlock with Pro.

Choose your boundary

Select Standard for flexible focus — pause, extend, or end anytime — or Strict for a commitment that holds until the Aura ends. Strict requires an extra confirmation. See Standard vs Strict for a full comparison.

Choose how your Aura looks

AuraLock ships with several lock-screen styles, from a near-black premium look to warmer tones. Pick one that feels calm to you — you'll be looking at it during your session.

Save and start

Review your Aura — purpose, apps, duration, and boundary — then tap Enter Aura to begin. If you chose Strict, confirm your commitment. Once active, only your selected apps stay alive.

One-tap focus presets

If you would rather not build an Aura from scratch, the Home screen offers one-tap presets that start a session in a single tap:

• Quick Focus — 15 minutes, flexible boundary
• Deep Work — 45 minutes of focused work
• Power Hour — 60 minutes, strict, with no casual exit

What's next

Now that your first Aura is created:

• Learn how to choose what stays alive with intention
• Understand when to use Standard vs Strict
• Explore session controls for pause, extend, and early exit
• Turn your Aura into a rhythm with schedules