What is our primary use case?
The main use case of Opal for me is to reduce my screen time during my work hours, during my wake-up time, and during my sleeping time to improve my focus and feasibility towards my work and my activities so that I can reduce my phone or laptop usage as much as possible to decrease screen time.
I have used Opal for reducing my screen time, which is relevant because previously I had a screen time of more than nine hours daily because I was frequently checking my phone. Whenever any messages came, I would check my phone frequently and at any time I wanted to. I needed to put some restrictions on my mobile applications such as Instagram and WhatsApp. The issue was that when I was using the screen time features provided by Apple, I could remove that restriction and ignore that limit for the time being. Opal has some hardcore locking features that do not enable you to skip that blockage until the time is over, so that is why it is very effective.
The main use case is reducing the overall screen time of my phone.
What is most valuable?
Opal has security features where whenever you want to unblock any application, you have to play any breathing exercise or any math-based application games, which is better for me because doing something that reduces your cortisol level and improves your overall well-being, and for the time being you forget that you wanted to use the application, even if you still want to use it.
Previously, my phone usage was around nine hours and fifteen minutes or more, but it has significantly reduced to around six hours and thirty minutes to seven hours, meaning two and a half to three hours has been reduced after using Opal as my primary screen time blocker. Feature-wise, it has multiple features. You can add different work modules, so if you are sleeping, it will start reducing the application usage gradually in delay, not all at once. When you are waking up, it will keep blocked apps in that mode. When you are in work time, you can select apps that you need to see while others can be blocked. There is a block list, an add list, and another list that you can add. There are different modes that you can select so that you can structure your day accordingly. For example, if this will be your gym session, then during your gym session, your music will not be blocked because music is a primary thing that people use at the gym. However, in work time, you should not use any Instagram, WhatsApp, or anything that will hamper your productivity. Opal sees through that and updates that feature in your work life.
I think the AI capabilities are very good because it detects what time it is, what the current scenario you are in, and then it decides, rather than blindly blocking any application. It decides on the basis of the time, according to your need and on the basis of other factors.
Accuracy and reliability are very great. It accurately blocks the applications that you want, and it is reliable because if once you pick up the phone and you see your application get blocked, it reminds you that you should not use this application. The end user should be kept accountable and then use that application because it keeps reminding us that you do not need to use that application.
Overall, Opal is very stable and scalable because you just need to install it on your phone or laptop and you can use it rigorously.
I have started reducing my phone usage and I have started to improve my concentration on the things that I need to do, particularly working. My working hours are from eleven to nine, and if I use Opal, then my screen time is reduced significantly and I am able to focus more and learn new things rather than just scrolling through my phone.
It has reduced the screen time of my phone usage. Previously, my average screen time was going up to nine hours, and it has reduced to six to seven hours, which is very great because productivity increases when screen time decreases. YouTube shorts and Instagram reels are just short-time entertainment and reduce your long-term productivity, so that has improved quite a bit.
What needs improvement?
Opal can be improved in some ways. In the paid version, there are multiple features, but in the freemium version, there are fewer features. The blockage of the application can be more rigorous. Right now, if we play two to three games, then a math game or anything, we are able to remove that lock. It should be more rigorous in some manner, and for some applications, it should be more rigorous. Application-wise rigorousness should be introduced. The different modes are good, but they should be more customizable according to the person. The end goal should meet whatever the objective is, so if the person has used more than six hours, then it should remind the person frequently that this application has used this time and this is an application you should not use. It should give us a timer or some kind of notification that the person will not use it anymore.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Opal for the last six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Overall, Opal is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Opal is very scalable because you just need to install it on your phone or laptop and you can use it rigorously.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is very great because Opal has around ten to twenty million users, and they are supporting it quite nicely.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used a different solution which was the inbuilt mobile application of the Apple devices that I used. I have used screen time only, the mobile application, the iOS application, and Android which have their inbuilt screen time lockers and application lockers, which I have used.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is very easy. You just need to block the applications and set the modes at what time, and accordingly you can set it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The paid version is a little costly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I think Opal is a great application for the freemium version. For the paid version, the features are significantly more. However, for the freemium version also, it is very great for the user to use it to improve their day because doomscrolling and extensive screen time can be reduced significantly by using Opal.
Instead of using your mobile application's screen time locker, Opal is very great because it has a very interactive UI and it has multiple features, multiple modes, and multiple user criteria. It has an AI-based mechanism and it has premium and freemium different modes that you can use. The freemium supports many things such as Zen mode, sleep mode, work mode, time mode, yoga mode, and gym mode, which is very good.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend starting to use Opal, be rigorous, and do not uninstall the application. After a certain time, you will start showing improvement in yourself. I will rate Opal a solid eight, and I would rate it a ten because the application is very good.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
