Opal iOS Release Notes - Wednesday July 1st

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1

Thank you for your feedback. We’re moving fast on it. Please remember to update your Opal app to get the latest fix/improvements. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve done, with the version it landed in, and what we’re working on next, in priority order.

Our goal as a team is to build a product that can help today’s Opal users, but eventually also billions of people build a better relationship with technology. To do this, we have to make new bets, learn quickly, and keep improving Opal for more people.

New in 4.3.1 (Coming Tomorrow)

  • Time limits can now be reset, if you allowed it

  • Improved Break Live Activity

  • More reliable Streaks

  • Widget gemstone keeps its full color in tint modes

  • Digital detox timers now show days after 24 hours

  • Improved App Blocking reliability

  • Improved account protection: we now store the account creation date so we can better avoid account duplication and help people get back into the right account

New in 4.3 (available today)

  • No longer showing a paywall to current Pro Subscribers

  • Adding or Editing Rules now works for everyone, whether you are paying or not

  • A cleaner look for screen time stats

  • PIN is required again to pause or delete your Rules

  • PINs from the old version are restored. If you installed the new Opal recently, you’ll see a message when yours is back

  • A new “Reload Opal” button on the My Apps tab fixes apps that stay blocked when they shouldn’t

  • Made this video walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vKF7XCYHECM

Also fixed in recent updates

Staying signed in

  • Fixed the unexpected logouts that were signing people out. Server fix on June 24, plus 4.2.2

Pro access

  • If you got locked out of Pro, it now restores itself automatically. No Restore needed. 4.2.2

  • Everyone has unlimited Rules, so no one is wrongly capped at 3. 4.2.2

Unblocking

  • One simple unblock flow everywhere, in a few taps. 4.2.2

  • You can choose your own unblock time again, not just 5 minutes. 4.2.2

  • Clearer “Unblock Now” button and lock icons. 4.2

  • Fixed cases where unblocking didn’t work at all. 4.2.1

Restored your Rules, formerly called Blocks

  • Sleep, Open Limits, and other Rules that didn’t carry over correctly are fixed. 4.2.1

  • Fixed Rules wrongly switched to Hard Mode that locked people out. 4.2.1

  • Fixed apps being blocked that you never set. 4.2.1

  • You can edit an Open Limit again when you still have all your opens left. 4.2.1

Streaks

  • Fixed the migration that wiped streaks. 4.2.1

  • We also restored streaks for 3,500 affected people on June 25

Stability and performance

  • Fixed the app crashing on launch, mostly on iOS 27. 4.2

  • Less overheating and lag on the home screen. Mitigated in 4.2, fixed in 4.2.1

  • No longer asking you to rate the app multiple times. 4.2.2

Protection working as intended

  • Uninstall protection can no longer be turned off while blocking. 4.2.1

  • Pause Rule, formerly called “Vacation Mode” or “Disable for a few days,” is back. 4.2.1

Things you should know

  • Increasing wait time in the waiting room is still available. You can find it in Settings → Waiting Room → Hard

  • Your daily screen time, broken down app by app, is available by tapping “Focus” on the home page

What’s next, in priority order

  • Making “Sign in with your last method” work, so reinstalling never loses your data. We improved syncing in this release and are still working on it

  • Getting everyone signed back into the right account and out of duplicate accounts

  • Continuing to harden against apps getting stuck blocked

  • Making time limits clearer when you reach one. The current “Unblock” option is misleading

  • Fixing referrals

  • Keeping your highest streak across major updates

  • Bringing back the daily screen time view on your home screen

  • Bringing back “Leave early”

  • Bringing back Session / Always On as a Rule

  • Showing Focus Hours and Streaks on the home screen

  • Clearer onboarding so it’s obvious what Opal does, what a Rule is, and how unblocking works

We read everything you send us, and it shaped this list directly. Thank you.

2

Hi, I am a paid subscriber. I am incredibly disappointed that an app I have used for nearly a year and found very helpful and easy to navigate has been changed without any consultation or notice, and I now find it very difficult to navigate and too busy. The old version did everything I want it to do (apart from time limits with no breaks working correctly, which has been going on for months and is also very frustrating). I have cancelled my subscription renewal as a result of this update - it shows a lack of respect to paid users that you did not warn us about changes or actually ask us what, if anything, we wanted.

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Thank you @Pippypop for taking the time to share this, and we’re genuinely sorry to hear that the update has made the app harder to use for you. That’s the last thing we want for a loyal subscriber. Your frustration about the lack of advance notice is completely valid, and we hear you. We’ve sent you a private message to follow up directly.

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I’m in the same boat. What on earth? This has ruined my experience with the app, and very strongly considering unsubscribing. There are so many pop ups in the ui now on iOS I can’t hardly find the buttons and the new locations.

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We’d love to hear more from you about your experience with V4, I’ve sent you a private message as well.

6

Could you send a video of your experience? there shouldn’t be popups so definitely something is wrong

7

100% agree with you!

An app that was awesome, simply to use and did exactly what I needed it to has been changed beyond all recognition.

It’s not intuitive to use anymore and I have instantly stopped using it. I don’t see what this update was done to achieve. I honestly came here hoping to see that this was acknowledged and they were rolling it back.

unless things there are improvements I think it’s time to move on. Maybe Brick is the way forward

8

Hi @Alistair_Grice we’ve sent you a private message as well to hear more about your experience with Opal’s latest update.

9

Completely agree with the comments above! So disappointing that an app that worked perfectly fine was overhauled for no reason and is now basically unusable. Strongly considering cancelling my subscription and switching over to Brick.

1 Like
10

I appreciate innovation but this update has been so disappointing. The data has reset itself every single week since the update so I actually have no idea if I’m improving or using my phone too much and now today the app has started pulling in data from other devices! The other devices are communal and one is used as a baby monitor so now my data is unreliable. I really appreciated this app when I downloaded it in December but I would not have extended the free trial if this was the app I was presented with. Right now I will not be renewing this subscription unless massive improvements happen soon.

11

I also instantly hated the new UI, I tried to power through it because I wanted the blocks to work again, but after two weeks I just can’t. Going to find an alternative app. Was there even a tutorial or existing users, I agree with everyone that it’s clunky, hard to find things, and not intuitive. It’s WAY too busy. I’m sorry to hate it because I used to tell everyone about this app.