You told yourself you'd only check Instagram for a second — and suddenly 30 minutes are gone. If mindless scrolling is stealing time you'd rather spend with family, in the Word, or just being present, one sec is the screen time tool that actually works.^1
Instead of blocking apps outright (which most people just override), one sec adds a brief pause — a deep breath exercise — every time you try to open a distracting app. That tiny moment of friction is enough to break the autopilot loop and give your brain a chance to catch up with your intentions. A peer-reviewed study with the Max Planck Institute and Heidelberg University found this approach reduces app usage by 57% on average.^2 Beyond breathing exercises, one sec offers a "mirror" intervention (your front camera pops up), conversational reflection prompts, emotion and intention tracking, journaling, a doomscroll emergency brake with time limits, and full app blocking when you need absolute focus. It also integrates with Structured (block apps during tasks) and LENGO (learn a language instead of scrolling).^1
one sec was built by Frederik Riedel, a Barcelona-based indie developer who created the app for himself during the 2020 COVID lockdown after realizing how much time he was losing to Instagram. The app has since grown to over 350,000 daily active users and has been featured as Apple's App of the Day. It's been covered by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Business Insider, and endorsed by productivity creator Ali Abdaal and longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson.^3 Notably, Frederik's studio also created Bible App Blocker — an app that blocks your phone until you've read Scripture — showing a heart for helping people prioritize what matters most.^4
Why Users Love It"Never in my life have I written a review for an app… With One Sec, the little number of times opened in 24hrs and the hours since last opened have an insane grip on me. So so good — at least give it a try." — App Store review^5
"I just graduated as a doctor and was burning out. Since getting rid of social media with this app, my focus is coming back. Maybe gave me my life back." — Harold Singh, App Store^1
"I'm 16 and phone addiction is normalized. I decided I didn't want to waste my life away anymore. This app helped me out significantly." — Oscar, App Store^1
Notable- Peer-reviewed research published in PNAS with the Max Planck Institute confirming 57% average reduction in app usage^2
- Featured by NYT, WSJ, TIME, Business Insider, The Verge, and Forbes^1
- Endorsed by Ali Abdaal and Bryan Johnson^1
- 22K ratings at 4.8 stars on iOS; 39K reviews at 4.6 stars on Android^5
- Has saved users a collective 196,000+ years of screen time^1
- Validated by governments in Germany and Denmark for digital wellbeing^1
- Available on iOS, Android, Mac, and as a browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)^1
- Developer offers scholarship plans for students who can't afford premium^5
Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Web (browser extension) Pricing: Freemium (one app free; Pro subscription available monthly, annually, or lifetime)
