To enhance the security of your Opal sessions and prevent the disabling of Opal's Screen Time during a session, we've prepared a step-by-step guide for you.
This guide will walk you through the process of using the built-in iOS app, Shortcuts, to restrict access to your phone's Settings App during an Opal session. This is particularly useful to prevent access to Screen Time permissions. Please note that once this setup is complete, you won't be able to open your phone's Settings while an Opal session is active, unless you initiate a break. Follow the steps below to set this up. It should take less than 5 minutes to set up if you follow the steps precisely.
Video Guide (Community Submission)
Step by Step Instructions
Follow these steps:
Open the Shortcuts App: Find the Shortcuts app on your iPhone or iPad and open it.
Go to the Automation Tab: At the bottom of the screen, you'll see three tabs: My Shortcuts, Automation, and Gallery. Tap on "Automation".
Create a New Personal Automation: Tap on the "+" icon in the top right corner of the screen, then select "Create Personal Automation".
Choose "App" as the Trigger for the Automation: iOS allows you to choose from a variety of triggers for your automation. Search for and Choose "App".
Set to When the Settings App is Opened: Next to App, tap 'Choose', then Search for and select the Settings App. Tap Done on top right. Then select 'Is Opened'. Select 'Run Immediately', and disable 'Notify When Run'. Tap Next on top right.
Select New Blank Automation After you've chosen your trigger, you'll be taken to the "Actions" screen. Here, tap on 'New Blank Automation'.
Add the 'Get Status' Action: Tap "Add Action", and then in the search bar, type "Opal". Tap on the action called "Get Status" or "Is Opal protection On?" from the list of Opal actions to add it to your automation.
Disable Show When Run: Then, toggle the blue Chevron ">" to disable "Show When Run"
Add 'IF' Input: Now, you need add a If variable, to ensure that this automation will only trigger when a session is active, and not otherwise. To do this, select "IF" from next action suggestions, or your can search for 'IF' in the search bar. Once you have done this, you should see "If Is Opal protection On?", like the screenshot below.
Add the 'Open App' Action: Next, you need to add the action to open the Opal app when a session is active. Tap on the search bar or "Add Action" again, and in the search bar, type "Open App". Select the "Open App" action from the list.
Choose the App to Open: After you've added the "Open App" action, you need to specify which app to open. Tap on the blue "App" text and select the Opal app from the list of apps that appear. Hit Done.
Drag "Open Opal" Under IF condition: Last step, you need to drag and drop the "Open Opal" action right under the If condition, like the screenshot below. You can do this by tapping and holding your finger on the Open Opal action, then dragging your finger at the right spot.
Finalize the Automation: Once you've set up the 'If' condition and the 'Open App' action, tap on "Next" in the top right corner of the screen. Review your automation to make sure everything is correct, then tap on "Done".
Test the Automation: Now that your automation is set up, you should test it to make sure it works as expected. You can do this by starting a Session in the Opal app, then trying to open the iOS Settings App. You should see the Opal app opening instead.
This is what should happen when you try to open Settings while in an Opal session.
Last step: Add Shortcuts to your Opal Session. Add the Shortcuts App as part of the App Group for your next session. This will prevent you from disabling the Automation you just set up.
Voila! a fool-proof system.
A few notes:
Unless you're in Deep Focus, you can always take a break if you still want to access the Settings App.
For more detailed information, you can refer to the official Apple Support page on using If actions in Shortcuts on iPhone or iPad here.