one sec
Delay distracting apps and websites
one sec forces you to take a deep breath whenever you open social media apps. It’s as simple as effective: Friction removes instant gratification and makes distracting apps less appealing.
The effects of one sec have been confirmed in a scientific study by the Max Planck Institute and University of Heidelberg.
Gain back control over your time
You just wanted to check that one message – and ended up scrolling on Instagram for 30 minutes? Social media is designed to keep you hooked to spend as much time as possible. Time that could be spent so much better – with your family and friends, getting work done or for your hobbies and wellbeing.
Science-based approach
Recommended by psychologists5
Our social media habits are the outcome of psychological mechanisms that apps trigger in our brains. They use the system of instant gratification which releases dopamine whenever we perceive a like or a message on our phone.
one sec’s approach is to break those habits. By making you wait longer for social media to open, your brain loses interest in those (destructive) short-term dopamine hits.
A focus app for more than short-term productivity
Many apps and tools block social media for a limited amount of time to help you focus. This might increase your productivity for the moment, but the real problem – your habitual urge to check apps and websites to get that dopamine boost – stays.
What can one sec do for you?
one sec is developed with the help of psychologists and user experience experts. How one sec can transform your life?
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Balanced social media use
App usage drops by 57% on average thanks to one sec – proven by science!6
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Productivity
Having two more weeks per year not spent on social media – to work on your projects & to recharge!
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Healthy habits
Replace bad habits with good ones: one sec suggests alternatives when you open apps.
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Save money
Prevent impulse purchases with one sec.
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Sleep better
Prevent scrolling mindlessly before you go to bed – and block apps automatically after waking up.
How it works
Automated second thought
Realize and question every single attempt to use social media.
one sec works fully automated and is triggered by every attempt to open the app or website of your choice. You will be forced to take a deep breath and then decide: Do you really want to spend time there? Or was it just an impulse out of boredom or stress?
Block social media apps that distract you the most
Configure one sec to get triggered whenever you open Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, TikTok or any other app on your iPhone or Android device.
You can block websites as well
No matter if it’s a news site, your favorite forum or adult content – keep yourself from wasting time on any website. It’s the same effective technique and configuration only takes a few minutes.
Act intentionally
If configured, one sec forces you to set an intention for opening apps. By thinking about your planned actions in the app beforehand, you will spend less time doing anything else.
Get reminded about your intention
Keep catching yourself scrolling through social media feeds for ages – even though the plan was only to read that one message? This is over now.
one sec will send you a notification after one to five minutes to check if you‘re still following your intention. This helps you to reflect if you still need to have that particular app opened.
Focus Sessions
During Focus Sessions, one sec won‘t allow you to open any of the configured apps – and there‘s nothing you can do about it. Enjoy pure focus and finally get things done!
Watch your progress
one sec visualizes your progress in nice diagrams and comparisons.
See how much time you’ve saved already – watching your progress reflected in numbers is incredibly motivating!
Make distractions less appealing.
Breathing Exercise
Forces you to take a deep breath before opening the target app.
Minimal Breathing Exercise
A simple version of the breathing exercise.
Follow the Dot
Follow the dot with your finger for 10 seconds to unlock the target app.
Black Screen
Your screen turns black for 10 seconds before allowing you to continue to the target app.
Rotate Phone
Rotate your phone three times around its axis to unlock the target app.
Mirror
Look in your own eyes and tell yourself that you really want to open that app right now.
Healthy alternatives
Set up concrete, healthy alternatives to help you get away from your social media habits: looking at family photos, doing sports, calling a friend, drinking water, reading a book, or listening to music are all great alternatives that will be suggested right when you need them.
“Brilliant. Best mindfulness app in existence.”
“It’s exactly what I needed. A forced break from repetitive, mindless social media. Absolute pure genius. It takes a few minutes to set up but it is completely worth it.”
by Ozexpat – Jul 3, 2021, Apple AppStore
Why one sec?
Tackle the problem – not only the symptoms
one sec doesn’t only help you to stay focused for a limited amount of time. It is designed to change your habits – and free you from social media distractions in the long term.
I care about your data
Unlike other apps, I don‘t sell or analyze your data. I can‘t even look at it. It remains private to you, offline, on-device and might be uploaded to your private iCloud container if you choose to do so.
Check out one sec for free
Convince yourself of one sec’s effect before spending any money.
Configuration for one app or website is completely free.
Study with Max Planck Institute
App usage lowered by 57%
The positive effects of one sec were shown by a recent study I conducted in cooperation with the University of Heidelberg and Max Planck Institute, one of Germany’s leading research institutes.6
Still not convinced?
Would more than 2500 five-star ratings on the AppStore convince you?
The science behind one sec
1. Average time per day spent by online users on social media in 4th quarter 2020, by territory: Statista.
2. Betul Keles, Niall McCrae & Annmarie Grealish (2020) A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25:1, 79-93, doi: 10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
3. Moreno M, Riddle K, Jenkins MC, Singh AP, Zhao Q, Eickhoff J. Measuring Problematic Internet Use, Internet Gaming Disorder, and Social Media Addiction in Young Adults: Cross-sectional Survey Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2022;8(1):e27719, doi: 10.2196/27719
4. Julia Brailovskaia, Fabienne Ströse, Holger Schillack, Jürgen Margraf. Less Facebook use – More well-being and a healthier lifestyle? An experimental intervention study. Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 108, 2020, 106332, ISS 0747-5632, doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106332
5. Dominik Schott. Wie Sie den unbewussten Griff zum Handy vermeiden. Spiegel Online.
6. David Grünin, Philipp Lorenz-Spreen, Frederik Riedel. Max Planck Institut, Uni Mannheim: Directing smart-phone use via one sec: Testing a self-nudge app in the wild. 2022. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/nwuar
6. “I found the Holy Grail. My screen time dropped an average 44% last week.” on r/ADHD.