When we set out to build Opal, we wrote a manifesto that started with a simple statement:

How we spend our time defines who we are. Today, we spend more waking hours on screens than in real life.

We’re now hundreds of thousands all over the world who use Opal every day to protect our time and focus.

Today, we are excited to release our first impact study using survey data from over 2,000 gems to better understand the Opal impact.

Here are the key results:

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#1 🎧 Less Distraction

94% of gems say they are less distracted thanks to Opal.

At its core, Opal allows you to add friction to most common digital distractions, like doom-scrolling on social media.

Following the principles outlined by James Clear in Atomic Habits (“Increase the friction associated with bad behaviors. When friction is high, habits are difficult” and “Prime your environment to make future actions easier.”), Opal allows you to easily add friction in the following ways:

App Blocker

You can instantly block apps and websites. It’s safe, precise and doesn’t affect internet speed.

Calendar

You can set daily working hours, sleep and routines that automatically block apps, so you don’t have to remember.

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#2 📈 More Productivity

93% of gems say they are more productive thanks to Opal.

Most gems use Opal during their work hours, choosing apps to automatically block, so they can focus on their work.

A common setup is to use the Work Hours schedule to block social media, news, and video apps on weekdays from 9 AM-5 PM.

Deep Focus

You can use maximum protection, so you can’t cancel or bypass the schedule you set.

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#3 ⏱️ Save Time

79% of gems save at least 1 hour daily thanks to Opal.

The following features help you save time each day:

Insights

See actionable screen time stats, track your progress and learn how to improve your screen time habits.

Breaks

Use apps without mindless scrolling. Choose the app you want to use during a schedule, set an intention (e.g. “I’m using Instagram to see how my friend’s vacation is going!) and start the 5-minute timer.

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#4 🧘 Feeling Better

90% of gems experience improved mental health thanks to Opal.

Opal was designed with the goal of making us feel better and improving our everyday lives. We strive to keep everything guilt-free and fun.

We have built the app with a serious goal in mind, but we strive to keep everything guilt-free and fun.

Icon

By the way, did you know that you can choose your background and app icon for one that suits your mood?

Widget

Create an Opal widget for your iPhone home screen! See your schedule status, timer and stats instantly.

Going forward

What will Opal look like going forward? In the last year, a lot of work has gone into learning from our wonderful gems to turn ideas from our manifesto into the #1 most-loved screen time app on the App Store, with an overall rating of 4.6/5 stars!

This is just the beginning, and you can contribute to our public roadmap to see what we’re working on next and give feedback. When we take back control over our screens, we have a powerful tool to fulfill our potential each and every day.

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Notes about the Study

The Opal Impact study results are based on an internal study using survey data from general Opal customers. The survey was completed in-app by a random sample of 10% of Opal's total customer base, in which gems were asked direct questions about the impact the Opal app has had on their daily routines, such as Q1: How valuable is Opal to avoid distractions?