Deep Focus, start to finish

What is Deep Focus?

Deep Focus is the main way to play Catch the Ghost on iPhone and Android. You set a length, the timer runs, and when it reaches zero you catch one apparition, a single chapter of a historical figure’s life. It is the only mode that catches apparitions, so it is also the one with stakes: ending a session early means the apparition you were catching gets away.

How do I start a Deep Focus session?

Open the Focus tab, check the settings sheet, and tap Deep Focus. The sheet is where you choose who you are catching, how long to focus, whether to stake coins, and which grace period to use. A new session always begins with a short Get Ready screen that shows your guide and a focus tip while the apparition loads.

1. On the Focus tab, tap the pill between your guide and your streak. The focus settings sheet slides up.
2. Under Who are you catching?, choose Surprise me to pick a category such as Art, History, Music or Science (or Lucky for any of them), or choose Pick a ghost to continue one of your In Progress ghosts. Each ghost shows how many chapters you have caught, for example 6 of 15.
3. Under Duration, choose 25, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, or use plus and minus to move in 5 minute steps. Deep Focus starts at 25 minutes.
4. Close the sheet and tap Deep Focus.

Until you catch your first apparition there are no In Progress ghosts to pick, so Surprise me is the way in. After a first catch the sheet switches to Pick a ghost with that ghost selected, so the next session continues its story. Flip the capsule at the top right of the sheet from Deep to Shallow for a flexible session that catches nothing; Deep Focus is described there as locked in and catching apparitions.

What happens while the timer runs?

The countdown shows for a few seconds, then gives way to the digital hourglass, where the apparition’s picture fills in dot by dot. The top of the screen carries a pin button, a pill showing your mode, and a headphones button for ambience. Below the time you see how many one minute exits you have left, your tag, and a Cancel button that counts down from 10.

For the first 10 seconds you can still cancel at no cost: you return to the Focus tab with no apparition lost and no coins or stake charged. After that the button becomes the control for ending the session. Tap the hourglass at any point to peek at the time left; it fades back on its own after about five seconds.

What happens when the timer ends?

You catch the apparition. The picture sharpens into the full image and the chapter appears with its text, the ghost’s name and a year, and buttons to read more, like, share and download it. If you chose Surprise me, you can then catch the ghost or skip it; if you picked a ghost, there is a single Continue.

Next comes the rewards screen, which reads Apparition caught for a Deep Focus session and lists how your coins and XP were built: a base amount, a Deep Focus multiplier of 1.5, your streak multiplier, and a stake bonus if you staked coins. From there you can start a break or continue.

What happens if I end a session early?

Ending a session early forfeits the apparition you were catching, and any coins you staked on that session. The ghost itself is untouched: it stays in In Progress with the same chapter count, ready for your next attempt. Coins you earned in earlier sessions are never taken, and until your third catch the only way to lose an apparition is to stop the timer on purpose.

To end a session, tap the hourglass to peek, then tap the end-session button. A confirmation sheet asks whether you are sure and names any staked coins. Choose Continue Focusing to carry on, or Quit Focus Session to leave. The next screen tells you the apparition got away, and if you had staked coins it shows the stake as lost. For the other ways to lose an apparition, such as staying away from the app too long, see Stakes and grace periods.