Opal has become my go-to app for staying away from distracting apps like social media.

You can start a timed session or schedule time blocks for when your selected apps are blocked.

I have schedules for both the morning and afternoon. My morning block runs from when I wake up until around noon when I usually have lunch. My afternoon block starts after lunch and continues until I finish work.

For each block, you can set the start and end times, choose which days to activate it, and select from different block lists if you have multiple ones.

For example, you might want to block different apps in the morning versus the evening. I keep it simple and share the same block list between my morning and afternoon schedules.

One of my favorite features appears when you try to open the app for a short break or to unblock apps during your blocked schedule.

You must wait through a pause screen before seeing the "Take a Break" option, where you can then choose a break time of up to 15 minutes to unblock your apps.

During your break, there's a neat live activity countdown showing how much time remains before blocking resumes.

All these features are included in the free plan of the Opal app.

If you want more features, you can upgrade to their pro subscription plan for stricter blocking options, unlimited recurring sessions, allowlist blocking, and more.

My only complaint is that the blocked screen when opening a blocked app is too cluttered.

I wish it had less text and less app branding taking up space. It would also be great to have the ability to write our own message on the screen.

Overall, the app is well-designed and includes additional features such as focus score and a leaderboard to compete with your friends.