Head to head
Opal vs one sec: Blocking Apps or Adding Friction?
These two solve the same problem in opposite ways. One blocks apps outright; the other makes you take a breath first and lets you continue.
The short answer
Choose one sec if your problem is reflexive opening — the hand reaching before the thought. Choose Opal if you have already decided an app should be off-limits during certain hours and want it enforced.
How they differ
OpalOne Sec
ApproachBlocks apps on a schedule or on demandInterrupts the launch with a pause, then lets you proceed if you still want to
How hard to undoFirm — it is designed to be enforced during a sessionGentle by design. It never prevents you, it only delays you.
PlatformsiOSiOS and Android
Best suited toSomeone who knows which apps are the problem and wants a boundary that holds.Someone who opens apps without deciding to, and mostly stops once made aware of it.
Where to get them
VisitOpal
Screen time coach powered by AI
AI-powered focus coach that learns your habits and blocks distractions at the system level.
Read our Opal review →
VisitOne Sec
Breathe before you scroll
Forces a pause before opening distracting apps.
Read our One Sec review →
Common questions
- Which actually works better?
- It depends on whether your problem is impulse or duration. If you open a feed unconsciously and close it once you notice, friction is enough. If you consciously open it and then lose an hour, you need the block.
- Is a pause really enough?
- For some people, yes — a large share of app opens are habitual rather than intentional, and interrupting the reflex removes them. If you routinely tap through the pause, that is useful information: you need something firmer.