Hlu puts tasks, habits, notes and focus tools on an infinite canvas. Create a space for a project or routine and place the widgets you actually need.
A spatial dashboard can be useful when a person wants several parts of one routine visible together. Hlu puts lists, notes, timers and other widgets onto an infinite canvas rather than forcing everything into one linear page. The challenge is to use that flexibility to clarify the work. A carefully arranged workspace should help someone identify the next action, not become a decorative project that must be maintained before anything else can happen.
Based on official store information. We have not tested this app hands-on.
What it does
The listing describes reusable lists, timers, calendars, handwritten notes and saved views. The same underlying list can appear in different spaces without being duplicated.
The developer calls each space a Hlu and describes starting from a template or a blank canvas. Choose one purpose first, such as a study session or a recurring home routine, and add only the components needed for it. A short task list, a reference note and a timer already provide several different kinds of information. Keeping their roles clear matters more than filling every area of the canvas.
The listing describes reusable underlying data. A list can appear in more than one space without becoming a separate copy, so completing an item in one view can affect the other. That is a useful distinction from copying a checklist image or duplicating text. It also means a user should understand which shared list is being edited rather than assuming that a change is local to the visible dashboard.
Other described tools include handwriting, PDF markup, charts, connected notes and saved views. Pro adds Actions and further configuration. A visual element can therefore be decoration, information or a control. When building a workspace, make that distinction understandable to its future user, including yourself after the initial design session. We have not tested the behaviour or reliability of those interactions.
Before you install
A visually flexible dashboard still needs clear ownership of tasks. Optional calendar, photo or music connections should be reviewed separately.
The report selected this app under Mac, but Apple's listing describes it as designed for iPad and not verified for macOS. Its stated Mac compatibility is for Apple-silicon hardware with the required system version, not evidence of a native desktop interface or Intel support. Check the current compatibility panel before choosing it for a Mac-only routine.
Calendar, photo and music connections are described as optional. Review each one for the actual purpose it serves, rather than enabling everything because it can be displayed. A spatial layout can make private information more visible at a glance. We have not audited permissions, iCloud behaviour, cross-device changes or large-canvas performance. Keep important source material recoverable and establish what happens when a particular connection is unavailable.
For a repeated routine, keep the distinction between a persistent task and a list that resets. If a view is reused in another space, decide whether the same underlying state is wanted there too. Saved views can provide navigation through a large canvas, but they should be named for a purpose rather than their visual position alone. A person returning later should understand the next action without remembering the original layout session. These are ways to evaluate the described system; we have not verified its search, handwriting, synchronisation or interactive controls on any particular device.
Price and access
Free use has space, list, notebook and widget limits. Pro offers subscriptions or a one-time lifetime purchase.
The free offering is described with limits on spaces, lists, notebooks and widgets per canvas. Pro provides subscriptions or a one-time lifetime purchase and expands the supported scope, including additional interactive tools. Identify the specific constraint before paying. A routine that fits within a small free workspace has a different requirement from many complex dashboards. Confirm the current price and renewal terms, and do not assume that buying Pro changes Apple's stated Mac compatibility status.
Our take
It may suit people who think in spatial dashboards. We have not tested cross-device behaviour, canvas performance or permission handling.
Hlu is most interesting when a person benefits from seeing related work in a deliberately arranged place. Its flexibility may serve a routine that feels fragmented across several applications, but the arrangement still needs a clear reason for every element.
We have not tested it. Begin with one small workspace, use it during an ordinary activity and notice whether the layout reduces or increases the effort of deciding what to do. Check the meaning of shared lists before creating several views. The strongest result is a dashboard that makes the work easier to resume, not simply an attractive canvas containing every available widget.
The compatibility panel currently names macOS26 or later and AppleM1 or later for running the iPad-designed app on Mac. Those conditions are separate from the question of how comfortably the interface works there. We have not evaluated desktop interaction, and a platform tag in an intake report should not override Apple’s qualification.
Sources
App icon from the official store listing.
