USER MANUAL · v0.5.0

Write only forward.
The OnlyForward guide.

OnlyForward is a desktop writing app that physically blocks Backspace, arrow keys,
and mouse clicks — so you stop polishing the same sentence forever and finish
your first draft. This single page covers install through every feature.

Windows · macOS Korean / English Lifetime license Auto-update

01What is OnlyForward

In one line — "the writing app you can't undo."

You know the loop: rewrite the first sentence fifty times, never finish a single page. OnlyForward physically removes the "go back" reflex from the surface area of your keyboard.

Append-Only

Once a character lands on the page, it stays.

Forward-Only

The cursor is always pinned to the very end.

Focus-First

Past sentences fade out so you can't re-read them.

Warm Nudge

Blocked actions trigger one of 30 encouraging messages.
Philosophy
OnlyForward is not "a tool to write well" — it is "a tool to write to the end." Editing belongs in another app. Inside OnlyForward, the only goal is finishing.

02Install & first launch

Where you download the installer and where your key arrives depend on where you bought OnlyForward. Pick your purchase channel below.

Where did you buy OnlyForward?

Download the installer

Tumblbug → My Page → "Digital Gift Management". Files stay available there for one year from delivery.

OSFileHow to install
Windows OnlyForward_0.5.0_x64-setup.exe Double-click → follow the installer.
macOS (Apple Silicon)
M1 / M2 / M3 / M4		 OnlyForward_0.5.0_aarch64.dmg Open the .dmg, drag OnlyForward into Applications.
macOS (Intel) OnlyForward_0.5.0_x64.dmg Open the .dmg, drag OnlyForward into Applications.

Download the installer

Right after checkout, Polar emails you a receipt with a "Download files" button. Click it and pick the build for your OS.

No email yet?
Check the Inbox, Promotions tab, and Spam folder of the email you used at checkout. Sender: noreply@notifications.polar.sh. Still nothing? Email support@onlyforward.xyz with the address you used and we'll resend.
OSFileHow to install
Windows OnlyForward_0.5.0_x64-setup.exe Double-click → follow the installer.
macOS (Apple Silicon)
M1 / M2 / M3 / M4		 OnlyForward_0.5.0_aarch64.dmg Open the .dmg, drag OnlyForward into Applications.
macOS (Intel) OnlyForward_0.5.0_x64.dmg Open the .dmg, drag OnlyForward into Applications.
Which Mac do I have?
menu → "About This Mac" → "Chip" row.
· "Apple M1 / M2 / M3 / M4..." → use aarch64.dmg
· "Intel Core ..." → use x64.dmg

First-run security warnings

Windows · "Windows protected your PC" / SmartScreen
The app is properly built and signed, but Microsoft hasn't yet seen enough downloads to mark it as "commonly downloaded." This is normal for a freshly released app.
  1. Click "More info" on the warning screen.
  2. Click the "Run anyway" button that appears.
You only have to do this once.
macOS · "Cannot verify the developer"
The app is signed and Apple-notarized, but macOS may ask you to confirm on first launch.
In Finder, right-click OnlyForward.app → "Open" → "Open". After that it launches normally.

03Activate your license

A license screen appears on first launch. How you get the key depends on your purchase channel.

Look up your key at license.onlyforward.xyz using your supporter number + name.

  1. Open license.onlyforward.xyz Enter your 7-digit Tumblbug supporter number and the name you used at backing time.
  2. Save it somewhere safe Lookup is one-time only for security. Store the key in a password manager, notes app, or text file before closing the page.
  3. Paste it into the app Format: BB69267F-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX. Hyphens are optional — the app accepts both forms.
Where to find your supporter number + name
· Supporter number: Tumblbug → My Page → Backing History → 'OnlyForward' → 7-digit number
· Name: exactly as entered when you backed the project (real name or alias)

Your key is already in the receipt email Polar sent you right after checkout. No separate site to visit.

  1. Open the Polar receipt email Sender: noreply@notifications.polar.sh. Subject contains "OnlyForward". The body shows your License Key field.
  2. Copy the key Format: XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX (32 hex chars). We recommend storing a backup copy in a password manager.
  3. Paste it into the app The first screen of OnlyForward asks for your key. Paste it in and click Activate. Hyphens are optional.
Lost the email?
Check Inbox / Promotions tab / Spam folder of the address you used. If still missing, log in at polar.sh with the same email — your key is also visible in your purchase history. Last resort: email support@onlyforward.xyz with your Polar receipt.
License terms
· Lifetime license — never expires. Future updates included.
· Install on multiple personal machines (desktop + laptop, Mac + Windows).
· Lost your key? Email support@onlyforward.xyz with proof of purchase (Tumblbug supporter number or Polar receipt) — we'll re-issue after verification.

04Start a new draft

Hit [New Draft] on the home screen.

Fields

TitleRequired. How you'll find this draft later.
TagsOptional. Color labels for grouping (e.g. fiction, journal, essay). Tags →
Word-count goalOptional. Triggers a confetti animation on hit.
TimerOptional. 5 / 10 / 15 / 30 / 60 minutes, or custom. Timer →

Hit [Start writing] to enter the editor. Once inside, you can't browse other drafts freely — you stay in this one until you finish or step out.

05Writing forward — the 5-Layer Defense

The core of OnlyForward. Five layers run in parallel to make "going back" physically impossible.

  • Keyboard block — Backspace Delete ← → ↑ ↓ Ctrl+Z Ctrl+A all do nothing.
  • Caret pinning — the cursor automatically returns to the end of the text.
  • Mouse block — clicking to move the caret snaps it right back. Drag-selecting text is impossible.
  • Scroll block — wheel, PageUp, PageDown, Home, End are all disabled. Past lines fade so you can't re-read them.
  • IME handling — composition input (Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc.) follows the same rules.

Encouragement messages

Press a blocked key and a short message flashes near the bottom of the screen — one of 30, picked at random.

"It's okay — just keep going forward."
"There are no perfect sentences. Writing itself is the perfection."
"I know the urge to delete. But right now: forward."
If they bother you
Settings → turn Caution mode off and the app blocks silently with no message.

Finishing

Hit [Mark complete] at the top to lock the draft (it shows as "Done" on the home screen). Need a break? Use [Back] instead — the draft stays in progress and you can return later.

06Typewriter Mode

Full-screen, distraction-free. The current line is locked to the vertical center of the screen so your eyes stop wandering.

  • Click the typewriter icon at the top right of the editor to enter
  • Press ESC to exit
  • Settings let you adjust width (narrow / medium / wide) and theme (light / dark)
When to use it
Long sessions, writing in cafes, small laptop screens — anytime you want the surroundings gone.

07Timer & word-count goal

Without constraint, drafts stay drafts forever. Time and word limits are the simplest way to force finishing.

Timer

  • Set when creating a draft, or mid-write from the bottom status bar
  • Presets: 5 / 10 / 15 / 30 / 60 minutes, or a custom value
  • When time's up: a toast appears (the app does not force-close)

Word-count goal

  • Counted as characters with spaces / characters without spaces / words (your choice during onboarding)
  • On hit: full-screen confetti + "Goal reached!" message
  • You can keep writing past the goal — it's encouragement, not a cap

08Danger Mode

"Write or lose." Stop typing for too long and your draft is permanently deleted.

⚠ Warning — unrecoverable
When the timeout fires, the .json file is permanently deleted from disk. It does not go to the trash, and there is no backup. Make sure you actually want this stake before turning the mode on.

Turning it on

  1. Settings → toggle Danger Mode ON It does not turn on immediately — a confirmation modal appears.
  2. Check "I understand the risk" + click [Proceed] Cancelling, pressing Esc, or clicking outside all leave the mode OFF. This is a deliberate guard against accidental activation.
  3. Set the timeout (in seconds) Recommended: 30–60 seconds. Too long is meaningless; too short leaves no room to think.

How it runs

  • 1.5 second grace period after your last keystroke, then the countdown begins
  • A black shutter descends from the top of the screen as a visual progress bar
  • When the timer hits zero: full-screen failure screen → file deleted from disk → draft disappears from the home list
Safety guard
Danger Mode always starts OFF when you launch the app. We don't trust persisted state for something this destructive — we never want you opening the app the next morning to find Danger Mode silently active.

09Autosave & export

There is no save button. Every keystroke is written to disk automatically.

  • Autosave debounce: 600 ms after your last keystroke
  • File format: JSON (title + body + metadata)
  • Location: app data folder by default. Change →

Export to other formats

From the home screen card menu or the editor's top bar, hit Export and pick a format.

TXTPlain text. Opens anywhere.
MarkdownFor Notion, Obsidian, GitHub, etc.
DOCXFor Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice. Start your editing pass here.

10Organizing with tags

As drafts pile up, "where was that one again?" creeps in. Color tags fix it.

  • Set a tag when creating a draft, or right-click a card → Edit tags
  • Click a tag chip on the home screen to filter to that tag only
  • Settings → Manage tags for renaming, recoloring, deleting
  • Deleting a tag removes it from all drafts that had it (the drafts themselves are untouched)

11Themes & typography

Settings → Appearance. 13 themes and full typography controls.

Themes

Five base themes (Light · Dark · Sepia · Forest · Midnight) plus eight gradient themes added in v0.5.0 (Velvet · Cyberpunk · Tokyo · Aurora · Emerald · Sapphire · Blood Moon · Smoke).

Customization

Font

System font or custom (e.g. iA Writer Quattro, Garamond)

Font size

Editor body size

Line height

Vertical spacing between lines

Letter spacing

Horizontal spacing between characters

Paragraph spacing

Gap between paragraphs

First-line indent

Manuscript / fiction style

Page width

Editor width (narrow / medium / wide)

Text alignment

Left / justified

Editor colors

Override theme colors with custom background / text

Enter sound

Optional typewriter-style audio

12Change save location

By default drafts live in the app's data folder, but you can move them anywhere — Dropbox, iCloud, a private notes folder.

  1. Settings → Save location → [Change folder] A system folder picker opens.
  2. Pick the folder All new drafts from now on are written there.
  3. Move existing drafts manually The app does not auto-migrate older .json files. Move them yourself in Explorer / Finder if you want them in the new folder.
Cloud-synced folders
You can point the save location at Dropbox / iCloud / OneDrive to sync drafts across devices, but if you edit the same draft on two machines at once, sync conflicts will appear. Use one machine at a time.

13Auto-update

New versions install themselves. No manual reinstall needed.

  • The app checks GitHub Releases in the background at launch
  • If a new version exists: download in the background, apply on next launch
  • If the check fails: check your network — but a failed update will never block your writing

14Frequently asked questions

I just made a typo. Can I delete just one character?
No. That's the whole point of OnlyForward. If a typo bothers you, ignore it and keep writing. Editing comes later, in another app. A finished draft with typos is worth a lot more than a clean half-page that never gets done.
Korean is being typed twice on my Mac
macOS handles certain input methods differently. We recommend "Two-Set Korean" (두벌식) under System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources. If the issue persists with another IME, please email support@onlyforward.xyz.
Can I install on multiple machines?
Yes — for personal use across your own devices (desktop + laptop, Mac + Windows). The same license key activates all of them.
I lost my license key
Tumblbug backers: email support@onlyforward.xyz with your supporter number.
Polar (landing page) buyers: log in to polar.sh with the email used at checkout — your key is in your purchase history. If still missing, email support with your Polar receipt.
I want to redownload the installer
Tumblbug backers: Tumblbug → My Page → "Digital Gift Management" — files stay available for one year from delivery.
Polar buyers: the "Download files" button in your Polar receipt email never expires. If you lost the email, log in at polar.sh to access the same page.
Can I recover a draft deleted by Danger Mode?
No. The file is permanently removed from disk — no trash, no backup. The deterrent power of Danger Mode comes from the fact that the loss is real. This is intentional.
Does it support languages other than English / Korean?
You can type in any language. The UI itself is currently translated to Korean and English.
I can't scroll up to see what I wrote earlier
By design. The "look back, dislike a line, edit it" loop is exactly what we want to break — so scrolling is blocked too. Once you mark the draft complete, scrolling and editing are unrestricted.
Where are the draft files stored?
By default in the OS app data folder (Windows: %APPDATA%\com.onlyforward.app, macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.onlyforward.app). Change it under Settings → Save location.
When's the next release?
No fixed schedule, but bug fixes and user-driven improvements are continuous. Your feedback is the highest-priority input — please send it any time.

15Contact

Bug reports, feature ideas, where-does-this-button-go questions — all welcome.

Email

support@onlyforward.xyz

License lookup (Korean Tumblbug backers)

license.onlyforward.xyz

OnlyForward is a one-person project. Replies aren't always instant, but every email is read by a human.
Wishing you the finish line of your first draft. ✍️