Thoughts on Screen Time apps - 24 weeks in

The last time I wrote about screen time apps was 24 weeks ago! It feels like just yesterday that I began this journey and shared my initial experience. Having now used Opal daily for 24 weeks, I’m ready to provide a full review of the app and how it’s transformed my life. I’ll start by describing the adjustment period of moving from no blockers to a strict blocker, then discuss how it’s impacted my mornings, evenings, and daily routines. Afterward, I’ll cover some hurdles I’ve encountered before concluding with my overall thoughts on screen time apps and whether they’re worth it. I’ll also share my impressions of Apple’s new screen time control suite in iOS 18.0 compared to Opal.

My adjustment period was challenging. I started with five routines: Morning (6am–9am), Work (10am–1pm), Afternoon (2pm–5pm), and Wind Down (9pm–midnight). Initially, the excitement of trying something new made the routines highly effective. However, as the novelty wore off, I found myself slipping back into old habits. Yet, Opal consistently blocked the apps I’d typically scroll through to pass time. Over time, I extended my Wind Down routine to last from midnight until 6am because I noticed that I’d stay up until midnight or wake up early just to use certain apps, leading to doom scrolling on YouTube, Farcaster, Instagram, etc. Extending the routine helped curb this habit.

The apps and sites I choose to block include all social media, news outlets, streaming services, and entertainment apps. Most are blocked by default in Opal, but I’ve added a few extras (like Warpcast—the memes are strong, but my desire to control my attention is stronger!). Overall, it’s a pretty standard, minimal customization for me, and it’s been highly effective.

After extending my routines, I noticed the app became even more impactful. Since my apps are periodically disabled, I’ve adjusted my daily routine to fit this structure. I now know my apps will be accessible at 9am, so I set aside time to respond to notifications then. Similarly, I check in at 1pm, knowing the apps will be re-enabled.

During this period, I also downloaded the OS X app. While it’s useful, I need to be more disciplined with it. Unlike on iOS, OS X doesn’t prevent force-quitting apps, and Opal doesn’t have a headless daemon (to my knowledge), allowing me to quit the app and browse as usual. I’ve taken additional steps to protect my focus, including:

• Editing the /etc/hosts file on my Mac to permanently reroute social media sites to 127.0.0.1

• Installing the Unhook YouTube extension, which removes recommended content, shorts, and distractions, displaying only my subscribed channels. This has revived my interest in content I intentionally subscribed to and has been refreshing.

These measures have been effective for maintaining my focus. I occasionally browse YouTube Shorts on my phone during downtime but don’t find this too disruptive.

Overall, the adjustment period highlighted both my determination to bypass the restrictions I set for myself and the power of technology to keep me aligned with my goals. During this time, my screen time dropped from 5 hours to about 40 minutes per day, and my average daily phone pickups were around 140. Today, my average pick ups are around 90 pick ups.

The main hurdle has been retraining my mind to focus. Before Opal, I was used to consuming content in rapid 10-15 second bursts, which made reading books difficult. I had to rebuild my reading habit, and now I enjoy books consistently. Instead of scattered interactions and countless articles, my evenings are spent reading or spending quality time with others, helping me be more present.

The OS X app remains a challenge, as I frequently bypass it to access social media and YouTube. This is an ongoing issue, and I hope a stronger solution is introduced soon. I deal with it by reducing my laptop screen time and being stricter about what I am on my laptop. As a programmer and technical centric person, this is hard, but I make it work. Simple things like closing the lid while cooking, or not taking it to bed with me. I recently removed my monitors, so now I work from just the one screen of my laptop. This has had a positive impact and I now focus on one thing at a time, rather than multiple monitors with multiple activities. This is all creating room for me to do deep work.

Another hurdle has been managing contacts. Initially, I blocked WhatsApp, but since some of my contacts are only reachable there, I found myself constantly disabling the app to use it, which was frustrating. I now leave WhatsApp accessible and have removed myself from group chats I don’t actively engage in.

With iOS 18.0, Apple released advanced screen time controls, including downtime periods, focus modes, app limits, and web restrictions. While I considered whether to cancel my Opal subscription, I decided to continue using it as it simplifies screen time management, saving me time. iOS 18.0’s suite is robust and offers great features, but I haven’t dedicated the time to fully configure it. Opal abstracts that, and does a good job at it. The average monthly cost is not too high, and I am comfortable paying that.

I highly recommend screen time limiters. Before using Opal, I believed I needed constant connectivity. I thought, “I don’t use Instagram or Warpcast that much,” but in reality, I was using them frequently and without structure. Since using screen time blockers, I’ve adopted the mantra, “Sunlight before screen light,” and it has had a positive impact.

As an independent remote worker, having a structured routine is essential, and these apps help provide that. My time on social apps is now more intentional. When my social apps are accessible, I engage thoughtfully, often by commenting, something I never did before.

In the evenings, I now enjoy activities like cooking, watching a movie, or reading. Falling asleep is easier, my mind is more at ease, and my thoughts feel less scattered. I’ve also noticed a contrast when spending time with people who don’t use screen time controls; phone use is so normalized that we sometimes forget to truly connect with those around us. I hope for a future where we spend less time on devices and more time connecting in person.

So, to conclude: screen time control apps are worth it! I’ll continue using Opal for the foreseeable future—give it a try and see what happens!