Opal: Screen Time Control

41 of 100 · reviews
4.7of 5 · store
81,264ratings on the App Store
485reviews read

An editorial reading of the saved reviews

Before the major update Opal was one of the best distraction blockers, with a clean interface and real results, but the redesign made navigation chaotic, weakened blocking, and put basic features behind a paywall. The product is currently in a transitional crisis.

Screenshots

What people use it for

People still on the old version or willing to wait for fixes

What reviews praise

The old version genuinely reduced screen time.
Several users report dropping from 7 to 2 hours a day.

What reviews complain about

After the update blocking became bypassable, the interface is confusing, and the focus-hours widget is broken.

What users experience

2 excerpts from the breakdown. These are individual cases, not a verdict on all users.

This has always been a wonderful app for me. I only have the free version, and it has radically decreased my screen time. I struggle with compulsive phone use, but the long waiting times for breaks really helped me think about what I was doing.

This is a great app. Beautiful, functional, and useful. But I just don't get some of the changes. Why is this not on the iPad and Mac as a universal app? I know there is a Mac app but why no iPad? Universal would still be nice. The latest major version also added unblock a single app…but with blocke