Opal: Screen Time Control for iPhone

This app has an option where you can set it to block apps after a certain time of usage, which would be great, except it doesn’t work. It constantly continues counting your “usage” of the apps even when they’re not being used in the background, and today it blocked all the apps I had that setting on when I woke up, even though I hadn’t opened a couple of the apps in days. It’s the nail in the coffin for me, and I’ll be deleting this app. It also counts my screen time wrong. One day it said I spend 28 hours on my phone. More hours than exist in a day.

You can not unlock your Apps and you cannot change it. If you block your apps you can never change it! Be careful

This app is dog water

There are somedays when you need to say screw the block and be on social media. Like… the day after a horrific political assassination. I am NOT renewing this app because it is nothing but a hassle.

I absolutely love this app. The customization of the focus modes make this app so good. It keeps me in check and I can make it as difficult or easy as I choose. Being able to schedule it helps a ton with being able to get work done during the day. If you use the default apple one, it’s so easy to turn off/ reset, but because opal is in it’s separate app with separate features, it genuinely makes you put for your phone down. I wouldn’t love it this much if you had to pay, but you don’t. Honestly that’s so much of the reason why I love opal

Your waiting games need work. Word puzzles have you looking for words that are supposed to be there but the wrong letters in the puzzle. And with the connect games, idk if that’s intentional but it’s always an empty section left. It’s weird.

Beautiful app, definitely helping me decrease my usage. Suggestions: Offer a short tour or clickable info icons explaining everything. When I launch the app, I don’t know what some of the numbers mean. Also, offer motivation and/or goal setting language to the end of Weekly Focus Reports, otherwise sometimes they’re just a downer. Issues: Despite ONLY having the Reddit app but not Reddit URLs on my block list, if I search something in Safari and see a Reddit result, when I click the Reddit URL it says the site is restricted. Please fix so I can put Reddit back on my block list.

This is absolutely useless. Not only is it confusing to navigate but once you get it set up you can literally just ignore the popups and keep scrolling anyway. Even after it locks the app and web browser you can just go into the app and bypass it. It locked me out of an app and I deleted Opal off my phone to get back on. Because that’s what addicts do. Technology is an addiction and it isnt possible to keep junkies from their addiction with a little app that they’re able to get rid of.

Wanting that dopamine hit can be so temping, but this app has saved me. I’m a grad student and have struggled to study while having my phone visible or nearby. This app along with Apple (do not disturb feature) has made it so that, I only check my phone if I receive a text message from select people. The timer and app selection features are incredible. Also the use of the gems and new puzzle features…. GENIUS. If you’re ever looking for an opinion on updates for the app please let me know! I am so relieved to have regained my focus and as someone else said “be present in my life”. To the makers of this app THANK YOU!

The screen time charting portion of this app is so glitchy that when you go into it, the first message that pops up is: “Focus score not loading? 1. Wait a few seconds. 2. Switch days on the top left. 3. Quit and restart opal. 4. Force restart your iPhone.” None of these steps worked. Pretty embarrassing for such an expensive subscription!