This article only applies to the old version of Opal (on iOS 15 or prior). Here’s why you should upgrade to iOS 16 and experience the new Opal.

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1. Start Opal: Once the VPN is setup you can "tap to start" Opal on the home-screen.
2. Adjust which apps Opal blocks: click on Settings → Distracting apps and toggle the apps you want to block.
3. Close your distracting apps: some apps, like Instagram/Facebook, may appear online when they aren't because of cache. You want to close these apps to make sure content isn't cached. Here's how to force-close your apps.
4. Open a distracting app: you should be able to enter the app, but it will not be able to connect to the Internet.

Still not working for you?

What to do about it.

Here are steps to follow to check Opal is working correctly and apps are disconnected:

• When Opal is on, try pulling to refresh the app (such as Facebook or Instagram) to see if it loads. If it doesn’t, great! If not...
• Force quit the app and reopen it.
• If you see content, check when the latest post was (e.g 10min ago).
• Tap through 5 or 6 profiles to see if content still loads. After a few taps, the app should tell you if you’re offline. Voilà!

Please note.

Time! Opal can take up to 30 seconds to disconnect or reconnect apps. Once you turn Opal ON (on the main screen), wait for 30 seconds, then open an app in your distracting app list (for example YouTube, you can check your list in the Settings page). The app should not be able to connect to the internet. We're working on making this much faster.

If you've successfully done these, congratulations! Opal is working properly. If not, sometimes Opal may take a couple of seconds before blocking distracting apps.

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