How do I start a session?
Choose your setup, then tap Start. You cannot change the map, style, or speed during a running session. To change these options, use Restart to return to setup.
- Choose a map and review its board thumbnail.
- Choose the Classic or Modern snake style.
- Choose a speed and check the estimated minute range shown beneath it.
- Tap Start. The snake finds food automatically; no directional buttons or swipe controls are needed.
Which maps, styles, and speeds are available?
The current version includes six 16 × 24 maps: Open Field, Outer Walls, Double Bars, Staggered Walls, Twin Rails, and Channels. Each has a different arrangement of walls, passages, and playable space.
Choose Classic or Modern for the snake's appearance. The four speeds are Zen, Calm, Steady, and Brisk; Calm is the default. The map and speed affect the estimated duration, while the style primarily changes the visual appearance.
Is the estimated minute range a countdown?
No. The range on the setup screen is a simulation-based estimate of how long an automatic snake session may take to finish with that map and speed. The timer during a session shows elapsed foreground running time.
Routes and food positions vary between sessions, and device performance can affect the duration. The range is an estimate, not a guaranteed finish time. The current version does not offer custom minute settings, a fixed-duration countdown, or Pomodoro rounds. You can pause or end a session manually whenever you choose.
How do I pause, resume, or restart?
Tap Pause to stop both the snake and the elapsed timer. Tap Resume to continue.
During a session, Restart pauses play and opens a confirmation dialog. Confirming Restart ends the current session, resets its elapsed time, and returns to setup. Cancel returns to the previous state; a session that was running before the dialog opened resumes running.
After the board is filled or a session has ended, Restart returns directly to setup without another confirmation.
Does the session keep running when I switch apps or lock the screen?
No. Movement and timing stop when the app becomes inactive or enters the background. Time spent in the background is not added later. If the app's process remains alive, a previously running session continues when you return; a session you paused manually stays paused.
Keep SnakeFocus in the foreground for a continuous session. The app prevents automatic sleep while running, but manually locking the screen, system interruptions, or switching away still interrupt the session. Normal automatic sleep behavior returns when you pause or the session ends.
Can I restore a session after closing the app?
The current session is kept only in the app's working memory. After you force quit, the system terminates the process, or the app starts again, the previous snake, score, and elapsed time cannot be restored.
You can pause and leave the app available if you intend to return, but the system may still terminate a background process, so this does not guarantee saved progress. The current version has no session history, accounts, or cloud sync.
When does the break prompt appear? Are there notifications?
When the snake fills every playable cell, the app shows the completed board, elapsed time, and an in-app break prompt suggesting that you stand up and look into the distance.
The current version does not send scheduled background reminders or lock-screen notifications, and it does not offer an alarm that sounds at a chosen time. Check the session status in the foreground.
How do I switch between Chinese and English?
The interface and VoiceOver labels support Simplified Chinese and English. They follow the system language or the system's per-app language preference; there is no separate language button inside the app.
Look for SnakeFocus's language preference in system Settings and choose Simplified Chinese or English. The location and available options vary with the system version and device language configuration. Chinese language variants display Simplified Chinese; other languages fall back to English. The SNAKE brand lettering stays the same in both languages.
Which devices are supported? Is an internet connection required?
The current version supports iPhone with iOS 17 or later and iPad with iPadOS 17 or later. There is no standalone Apple Watch app.
The core snake, timer, and setup work offline without registration or sign-in. Visiting this support website, opening the store page, or contacting support by email uses the relevant network and device services.
What if the screen is blank, the session will not start, or controls seem unresponsive?
Check the current screen state, then try the steps below in order. Starting the app again loses an unfinished session, so record the issue first if you can still interact with it.
- On the setup screen, tap Start at the bottom. On a smaller screen or with larger text, scroll to find the button.
- If Paused is shown, tap Resume. If a restart dialog is open, choose Cancel or Restart.
- After returning from the lock screen or another app, keep SnakeFocus in the foreground and check that the session was not manually paused.
- If the session has ended, tap Restart to return to setup.
- If the screen remains unresponsive, close and reopen the app. If needed, restart the device and install available app and system updates.
- If the problem returns, use the contact option on this page and include the steps that reproduce it.
How do I contact support?
Use the email contact option provided on this page. To help identify a problem, include the app version, device model, iOS or iPadOS version, steps taken, and the expected and actual results. You may attach relevant screenshots with personal information removed.
Do not send passwords, verification codes, payment information, or other sensitive details. We do not need these details to investigate a SnakeFocus usage issue.