Opal: Screen Time Control 4+

Boosting Productivity: A review of Opal: Screen Time for Focus

Opal: Screen Time for Focus has become an indispensable tool in my quest for productivity and mindful technology usage. From the moment I started using it, I noticed a significant improvement in my ability to stay focused and on task. The app's interface is clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate, making it simple to set up and customize according to my preferences. Setting daily screen time limits and scheduling focused time intervals has helped me regain control over my digital habits. I appreciate the flexibility to adjust settings based on my changing needs and commitments. One standout feature of Opal is its ability to block distracting apps during designated focus sessions. This has been a game-changer for me, as it prevents me from mindlessly scrolling through social media or getting lost in email when I should be concentrating on important tasks. Furthermore, the app provides insightful usage statistics, allowing me to track my progress over time and identify areas for improvement. The visual representation of my screen time habits serves as a powerful motivator to stay disciplined and make positive changes. Overall, Opal: Screen Time for Focus has exceeded my expectations and become an essential tool in my daily routine. Whether you're a student, professional, or anyone looking to reclaim control over their digital life, I highly recommend giving this app a try.

you need this app.

When I first got opal my daily screen-time was about 8 1/2 hours a day. That’s really bad, but since then my screen time has dropped so much- The last couple days I have had under an hour! Most days though I have around 2 hours. There are definitely productive things on your phone, but a majority of the time its a distraction. Opal helps open your eye to how much of your screen time is actually necessary. It also isn't the same thing on every block, instead if quickly skipping by and pressing some type of ignore limit button, I am forced to actually stop for a second read the text, and then I gain better perspective on what I have spent the last 30 minutes or hour doing. This alone brought my screen time down a couple hours when i first got the app. The reason I wanted opal was because i felt like i was wasting so much time, and opal helps me see the time i could have lost, and the time i got back. I don’t personally have premium, and i don’t think i would get it either even if the price dropped since the free version has helped me enough. I will say i think the focus sessions should be able to surpass 500 hours, because i was aiming for 1000 and then it cut off half way though 😑.
(this is the only app i have EVER written a review for so that should help show how much i LOVE opal)

Leaving this app after some time

I used to have a Pro account for this app and found it really useful before the last major update. I liked that you could configure it in a way where it would ask you what your intention was if you wanted to unblock apps for a certain amount of time. It helped me be mindful about what I was doing. They got rid of that feature now, which was a huge bummer for me but not a dealbreaker.

I understand that in the last major update they went from a VPN to using Screen Time, which made it easier for them to block the apps themselves, and not just the data. This is helpful. However, it seems like a huge oversight on their behalf that now I’m somehow still able to access social media websites on my web browser. So when Opal blocks my Instagram app, I can still go on my safari and access Instagram in no time. I reached out to their customer support for a solution. Apparently you can’t block specific websites, only the ones your screen time deems as “most visited” ones. There’s no way around this other than blocking every single website on your phone and then just manually adding the ones you wanna visit which is unrealistic, as I oftentimes work from my phone and I don’t know exactly which sites I need to go on. So this app virtually doesn’t work anymore. I can still go on Facebook or Instagram or any of those sites through my browser. It’s useless. Unfortunately I can’t get past this and I’ll have to find another app to help me block social media

Developer Response ,

Hi Gem, thanks for your review, we are sorry to read Opal did not work as intended for you..We have the whitelist feature that will block all apps and websites, except the ones you select. Happy to help with this if you decide to come back!
Team Opal💎