Customizable Minimum Wait Time Before Breaks / App Access

Feature Requests đź‘€
1

I’d love the ability to customize the minimum enforced wait time before taking a break or opening a blocked app.

Right now, the friction timer appears limited to short presets (around 5–20 seconds). For some users, a longer intentional pause would be much more effective for reducing impulsive app opens.

Example use cases:

  • Force a 60-second pause before opening Instagram/TikTok

  • Add stronger friction during work hours

  • Create a more mindful “cooldown” before breaks

  • Support dopamine detox / intentional phone-use workflows

Suggested implementation ideas:

  • Allow custom wait durations (e.g. 5s → 5min)

  • Different wait times per app or Focus mode

  • Optional escalating waits after repeated opens

  • Separate settings for “breaks” vs “blocked app access”

This would make Opal significantly more powerful for users who want stronger intentional friction without needing full Deep Focus lockouts

1 Like
2

Hey there @Welonganite5158 ,

Happy to help! While you can not customise the Waiting Room length, you would likely enjoy our Session difficulty “yes, but make it harder.” This will implement an increasing-in-length waiting room before you’re able to open an app. To implement this option, please follow the steps here:

sessions

Otherwise, I’ve passed your suggestion along to our engineers to consider as we continue to upgrade the app. Stay tuned on that front!

All the best,
Team Opal