01Intend
Say it out loud.
One line: what are you about to do? Pick the apps that count as work and any sites to hold back.
Draft the onboarding copy
FigmaDocsLinear
Mac app + Chrome extension. Free while we test.
Focus, in tiles you can actually read.
Tessera is a calm focus-session app. You say what you're doing, work on it, then answer one honest question: did it get done? Tessie keeps an eye out. No grades, no streaks, no guilt.
Tessie isReady when you areChange its mood on the right.
A week, at a glance
No score. Just tiles.
macOS 26+Chrome 105+Stays on your Mac
Meet Tessie
Hover to say hi. Click to poke.
Try it
Run a whole session in thirty seconds.
This is the real loop, in miniature. Name what you're doing, pick your work apps, start. Click the windows to wander off and watch Tessie notice.
Step 1. Say what you're about to do.
IntendFocusReview
Figma
Linear
Code
Chrome
Not now.
This one's on your list.Tessera's Chrome extension paused this tab. Click the window again to go back.
This one's on your list.Tessera's Chrome extension paused this tab. Click the window again to go back.
Ready when you are.
How it works
Four moves. That's the whole app.
Everything Tessera shows you comes from this one loop, so there's nothing to set up and nothing to maintain.
02Focus
Work. Tessie watches.
A timer in your menu bar. Tessie shifts mood when you wander and the extension pauses blocked tabs.
24:08
Figma 19mSlack 3mChrome 2m
03Review
One honest question.
Did you do what you said? Yes, not yet, or I can't say. Nobody's keeping score.
YesNot yetUnanswered
04Ledger
See it as tiles.
Every session becomes a colored tile. Zoom out and you get a week you can read at a glance.
Meet Tessie
A companion that watches over you, never at you.
Tessie is the face of Tessera. Drag to turn it around, pick a mood, poke it. It reacts differently depending on how your session is going.
Drag left or right to turn Tessie around.
01![]()
Doesn't disturb you.
Quiet while you work. No pop-ups, no nagging. It only changes mood.
02![]()
Notices, gently.
Wander off your work apps and Tessie looks away. Visit a blocked site and it gets grumpy, then forgives you.
03![]()
Celebrates the finish.
When you review, Tessie perks up. Whatever your answer is, it has no grades to give.
04![]()
Never keeps score.
No streaks, no ranks, no shaming. A missed day is just an empty tile.
Together
Focus alongside friends. Quietly.
Start a room, invite a few people, and see who's in a session. No leaderboard, no pressure. Just a shared wall of tiles you can look at when you're done.
Your room
Friday focus club
Up to six in a room. Tap Cheer to wave at someone.
This week, together
Share
Share the room's week.
Turn the room's activity into one card. Pick a color, decide whether names show, then copy the caption and post it wherever your friends are.
Visualization
Color
Show namesOff shows tiles only, nobody is named.
Privacy
It remembers a little. On purpose.
Tessera keeps a small record on your Mac and nothing else. Tap what it never collects, then flip a helper on and watch exactly what would leave your Mac.
One session, saved locally
{
intention: "Draft the onboarding copy",
apps: [ "Figma", "Docs" ],
minutes: { Figma: 19, Docs: 6 },
outcome: "yes"
}
Never collected. Tap to cross out
Tessera sees the name of your front app, not what's inside it. It runs only on your Mac. There is no phone tracking.
Leaves your Macnothing.
All of it stays on this Mac.
Optional helpers. Off until you say.
Judge
Suggests whether your session matched your intention. You still give the final answer.
Coach
A kind nudge after a session about what to try next time.
Public card
Share a session as a card with a link anyone can open. Private by default.
All three are off right now, just like a fresh install.
Ledger and sharing
Your weeks, as a wall of tiles.
Filter by outcome, tap a session, and turn it into a card. Finish the demo above and your session lands here.
Last 4 weeks
Make it a card.
Range
Visualization
Color
Show intentionOff keeps the title private.
Caption
Clear works on any background.
Get Tessera
Two downloads. Two minutes.
Install the Mac app first, then add the Chrome extension so blocked tabs can pause. Tap through the steps below to see what to expect.
Tessera for Mac
- Notarized .dmg, drag to Applications
- Needs macOS 26 or later
- Lives in your menu bar
Chrome extension
- Pauses sites on your block list
- Needs Chrome 105 or later
- Pairs with the Mac app
Tap a step to begin.
Each tap checks a step off. Tessie cheers when you reach the end.
MacmacOS 26+
BrowserChrome 105+
PriceFree while testing
DataLocal only
FAQ
Good questions.
Short answers. If something's missing, tell us.
Is it really free?
Yes, while we're testing. If that changes, you'll hear it from us first and your sessions stay yours.
What does Tessera see on my Mac?
The name of your front app, so it can tally minutes. Not window contents, not keystrokes, not screenshots.
Does it track my phone?
No. Tessera is a Mac app and a Chrome extension. Nothing runs on your phone.
Where is my data stored?
On your Mac. The optional helpers are off by default, and each one tells you what it uses before you switch it on.
Will it shame me for a bad day?
Never. There are no grades, streaks or ranks. A tough day is a not-yet tile, and that's fine.
Do I need the Chrome extension?
Only if you want blocked sites to pause during a session. The Mac app works fine alone.
Get started
Ready when Tessie is.
Start with one intention. See how a calm week feels.
macOS 26+Chrome 105+Free while testing