pause.do is a privacy-first browser extension that interrupts the moments when attention slips into autopilot, endless scrolling, tab overload, and even AI prompts. Instead of blocking websites, it creates small, intentional pauses that help you think first and decide what to do next. With pause types like Think First, Scroll Pause, Session Nudge, Focus Limit, and Tab Overload, pause.do helps you stay in control of your attention online.
As someone who is constantly stuck in analysis paralysis I love this. I have tabs and groups and windows for days hoarding things I may never look at or may scroll endlessly through when I get stuck trying to figure out a path. Love this idea!
Tab overload is the one that gets me. I end up with 40 tabs as a proxy for thinking - like keeping something open means I have not forgotten it. What does the AI autopilot interruption actually look like - does it detect when you are on autopilot or do you set it manually?
I read an article that more people (Gen Z) are shifting back to the offline space and want to be more present. On the other hand, the older generation started using the internet more. So this way, you can cover 2 target audiences – people who want to break up with their internet addiction and their parents, who are out of control, and their kids can install this on their devices :D
👋 Hey Product Hunt!
The idea for pause.do started from something that made me uncomfortable.
I watched a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbS3CLSOeoU&t=1198s
discussing an MIT paper showing that when people rely heavily on LLMs for simple tasks, their cognitive engagement can actually drop over time.
That stuck with me.
I realized how often I was opening ChatGPT or scrolling feeds before even trying to think through a problem myself.
So I built a small weekend project: a screen-time style browser extension with a twist.
Instead of blocking websites, pause.do introduces small pauses when attention tends to drift:
• before AI prompts
• during long scrolling sessions
• when tab overload starts
• when you spend too long in certain apps
The goal isn’t restriction.
It’s simply to reintroduce a moment to think first.
Everything runs locally in the browser, and no browsing data ever leaves your device.
What started as a simple experiment turned into something surprisingly helpful for my own habits online.
Curious what you all think.
Do you ever catch yourself asking AI something before trying to think it through yourself?
Would love your feedback 🙏