Opal blocks distracting apps at the system level on iPhone and iPad, with scheduling, focus sessions, and screen time analytics to help you reclaim attention.
Each app below addresses a specific gap in Opal's offering. We picked them based on real user review patterns and feature differentiation.
One Sec adds a deliberate pause before distracting apps open, showing a breathing prompt that interrupts the automatic urge to check social media. It works on iOS and Android and takes a behavioral rather than blocking approach.
Explore One Sec data →ScreenZen combines app delays, usage limits, and reflection prompts to reduce mindless phone use. It is available on iOS and Android and takes a gentler approach than Opal's hard blocking.
Explore ScreenZen data →Freedom blocks websites and apps across iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows simultaneously. It complements Opal-like iOS blocking with cross-device sessions for users who also work on desktop.
Explore Freedom data →Cold Turkey is the desktop equivalent of Opal, offering near-unbypassable blocking on Windows and macOS. Pairing Cold Turkey with Opal covers both desktop and iOS for comprehensive distraction blocking.
Explore Cold Turkey data →Space is a cross-platform app that tracks phone usage patterns and helps users set daily usage goals with motivational prompts and progress reports. It focuses on awareness and habit change rather than hard blocking.
Explore Space data →Brick is a physical NFC card that you tap to your phone to trigger app blocking sessions. It makes the act of blocking intentional and physical, reducing the ease of disabling blocks compared to app-only solutions.
Explore Brick data →Opal leverages iOS Screen Time APIs to enforce app blocking more deeply than most competitors, and has grown rapidly among knowledge workers and students who found softer interventions ineffective on mobile.
Opal uses Apple's Screen Time API to restrict access to selected apps during focus sessions. This makes it more effective than VPN-based blockers but still relies on iOS Screen Time, which can be bypassed by resetting the Screen Time passcode.
No, Opal is exclusively available for iOS and iPadOS. Android users looking for similar functionality should consider apps like Digital Wellbeing, Space, or One Sec.
Yes, Opal can block any app installed on your iPhone or iPad, including social media apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter, as well as browsers and other distracting applications.
App Vulture continuously monitors App Store and Google Play metrics including update frequency, user rating trends, and review sentiment to identify which screen time and focus apps are actively maintained and highly rated in 2026.
Finance and Banking alternatives.
Open Source Broadcasting alternatives.
Productivity and Notes alternatives.
Productivity - Note-Taking alternatives.