Forest app review: is it useful for exam revision?
Forest combines a focus timer, virtual trees, and app blocking. It is worth considering if phone distractions interrupt your revision. Its free tier includes the timer and Deep Focus; Plus adds a custom app allowlist and more detailed statistics. Whether a tree withers when you switch apps depends on the focus mode and allowed apps. A timer can structure a session, but it cannot explain difficult material or replace support when stress feels overwhelming. [1]
Forest at a glance
Details checked on 12 September 2026 from Forest's website and its listing on the US App Store. Prices and features vary by country and platform.
| Question | What we found |
|---|---|
| Who is it for? | Anyone whose phone pulls them away from revision. The Forest pages we checked do not state a minimum age. |
| Which devices? | iPhone and iPad (iOS 16 or later), Android, and browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox. [1] [2] |
| Is it free? | Yes. The free version includes the focus timer, Deep Focus app blocking, and basic statistics, with occasional ads that Forest says never appear during a focus session. [1] |
| What does the paid version cost? | Forest Plus was listed on the US App Store at $5.99 a month, or $32.49 to $35.99 a year, as early-bird prices. [2] |
| What does setup involve? | Choose a focus length and configure blocking for your device. Setup time has not been measured in this review. |
| Main limitation | It targets the phone habit, not the reasons revision can feel hard to start. |
How we put this review together
We read Forest's website, its US App Store listing, its privacy policy, and the page run by its tree-planting partner, all on 12 September 2026.
This is a review of published features, policies, and relevant research, not a hands-on app test. The feature descriptions below come from Forest; the recommendations are our assessment of how those features fit revision. Device-specific blocking behavior has not been independently verified here.
How does Forest work?
You choose a focus length and start the timer. A virtual tree grows during the session, and completing it adds a tree to your forest. Forest says leaving a session or using blocked apps can make the tree wither; the outcome depends on your settings and which apps are allowed. [1]
Deep Focus blocks apps during a focus session and is included in the free tier. An allowlist identifies apps you want to keep available, such as flashcards or a dictionary. Forest lists a custom allowlist as a Plus feature for new users. [1]
Time Guard is a separate scheduled blocker that also works outside focus sessions. The free tier covers one app or site, while Plus supports several. This is a limit on what you block, not a free allowance for one app you can keep using during Deep Focus. [1]
Is Forest useful for exam revision?
It can be, if the phone is the problem. In one laboratory study, simply receiving phone notifications disrupted people's performance on an attention task, even when they did not pick the phone up. That study did not test Forest, revision, or exam results, but it is a good reason to deal with notifications while you study. [3]
A tree that withers can be a useful reminder to return to a task, or an unwelcome penalty on a difficult day. Treat that as a preference to consider, not a measure of how well you are doing. If rewards and penalties add pressure, a plain timer is another option.
When the main problem is not knowing what to revise, pair any timer with a small, specific task. If you feel overwhelmed, a revision plan or a conversation with someone who can help may be more useful than stricter phone blocking.
What does Forest cost, and is Plus worth it?
The timer, Deep Focus, and basic statistics are free. Plus adds a custom allowlist, Time Guard for several apps or sites, all soundscapes, focus analytics with custom tags, extra tree species, three times the coins, and the option to plant up to five real trees per account. [1]
On the US App Store on 12 September 2026, Plus was listed at $5.99 a month, or $32.49 or $35.99 a year, all labelled early-bird prices. The listing also sells in-app items called Crystal and Sunshine Elixir, from $0.99 to $21.99. Prices differ by country, so check your own store. [2]
Consider Plus if a custom allowlist or scheduled blocking for several apps would solve a specific problem in your routine. Existing Pro users should check their retained features first: Forest says Pro status remains, and lists an allowlist and other benefits that may vary by platform and version. [1]
Forest says Plus is billed through Apple or Google Play. Cancel through the subscription settings of the store you used; paid features remain until the billing period ends. Refund requests go through that store. The US listing contains multiple annual offers, so confirm the amount and renewal terms shown for your account before subscribing. [1] [2]
| Feature | Free | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Focus timer (countdown or stopwatch) | Yes | Yes |
| Deep Focus app blocking | Yes | Yes |
| Custom allowlist during focus | Not included for new free accounts | Included |
| Time Guard: scheduled blocking | One app or site | Several apps or sites |
| Focus statistics | Basic tracking | Analytics with custom tags |
| Real trees planted | No | Up to five per account |
Does Forest really plant trees?
Forest works with the nonprofit Trees for the Future and says more than 2 million real trees have been planted through the partnership. The charity's own page showed 2,153,829 trees funded by Forest when we checked on 12 September 2026. Plus users can spend in-app coins to plant up to five real trees per account. [1] [4]
It is a pleasant extra, but not a reason to choose a study tool. Judge Forest on whether it keeps you working.
What about privacy?
Forest's App Store privacy label lists contact information and usage data as data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites. Data linked to you includes purchase history, email address, identifiers such as a device ID, and product interaction. [2]
Its iOS privacy policy, last updated 7 March 2024, names Seekrtech Co., Ltd. as the data controller. It lists advertising, remarketing, and behavioural targeting among its purposes, and links to the privacy policies of services including Google, Meta, TikTok, and AppsFlyer. [5]
If you would rather not be tracked for advertising, choose "Ask App Not to Track" if your iPhone asks, or check your phone's privacy settings before you start.
Are there simpler alternatives?
Your phone's own Focus or Do Not Disturb setting can silence notifications for free, with no account. It will not stop you opening an app, but it removes the interruptions.
Putting the phone in another room, or just out of reach, costs nothing and needs no setup. If you revise at a computer, a browser timer such as Pomofocus keeps time without involving your phone at all.
Who should use Forest?
A short summary, based on Forest's published features rather than our own use:
- Try the free version if picking up your phone is what breaks your revision sessions.
- Consider Plus for a needed custom allowlist or multi-app scheduled blocking; check retained Pro benefits before paying again. [1]
- Skip it if your phone is not the problem, if a withering tree would add pressure on a hard day, or if you would rather not share data used for advertising.
Sources and further reading
These links open Forest's own pages, the App Store, its partner charity, and a research database.
- Forest: official website
Provider description of features, free and Plus tiers, platforms, and the tree-planting partnership. Checked 12 September 2026. - Forest: Focus for Productivity on the US App Store
Subscription prices, in-app purchases, and the privacy label shown on 12 September 2026. Prices vary by country. - Stothart and colleagues (2015): the attentional cost of receiving a phone notification
Laboratory study of an attention task. It did not test Forest, revision, or exam results. - Trees for the Future: Forest App
Partner charity page showing the number of trees funded, checked 12 September 2026. - Forest: privacy policy
iOS privacy policy, last updated 7 March 2024. Names the data controller and the purposes for processing data.
Educational review, not medical advice. Prices, features, and policies change, so check the provider's own pages before you pay or enter personal information.