A non-cancellable focus mode, if you're willing to pay for it.
The non-cancellable Deep Focus mode is a genuine differentiator, but it's gated behind a $99.99/year subscription that undercuts the free tier's appeal.
Opal blocks selected apps and websites either on-demand or on a recurring schedule, according to the manufacturer. Sessions come in three levels: a Normal session can be cancelled anytime, a Timeout session adds a rising delay before you can cancel, and Deep Focus cannot be cancelled once started — deleting the app itself doesn't lift an active Deep Focus block. Website blocking extends into Safari, including private browsing mode. A Focus Score and weekly report track pickups, app usage, and time spent focused, with optional leaderboards and co-working features for social accountability.
People who've already tried a basic screen-time limit or a cancellable blocker and kept talking themselves out of it. Deep Focus is built specifically to remove that off-ramp — it's a tool for someone who wants the software to hold a boundary they don't trust themselves to hold during the session itself.
Anyone unwilling to pay $99.99/year for a blocker, since the one feature that meaningfully differs from free alternatives — the non-cancellable session — sits behind that paywall. Android and Mac users may also find a platform-native tool more reliable, given reviewers' reports of lag and glitches outside iPhone. And anyone who can simply disable Opal in iOS Screen Time settings when they want to should know Deep Focus resists quitting the session, not quitting the app.
Opal's free tier is a fairly ordinary app blocker; its real product is Deep Focus, a session you can't cancel once it starts, and that's a paid feature. Worth it if the inability to override is the whole point for you — a hard sell otherwise at this price.
A polished screen-time app whose real product — a session you genuinely can't cancel — sits behind the $99.99/year paywall.
No — according to the manufacturer, Deep Focus sessions can't be cancelled once started, and deleting the Opal app doesn't lift an active block. Normal and Timeout sessions, by contrast, can still be cancelled or worked around with a delay.
There's a free tier with basic app blocking and one rule, but Deep Focus, unlimited sessions, and full analytics require the Pro subscription — $99.99/year, $19.99/month, or a $399 lifetime option, according to the manufacturer.
According to independent reviews, no — the Android and Mac experiences lag behind the iPhone version and have been reported to lag or glitch.