one sec | screen time + focus vs Scroll Survival
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
one sec | screen time + focus
This app introduces intentional friction to distracting apps and websites, helping users reduce screen time and improve focus. It delays access rather than blocking, promoting long-term behavioral change. Integrates with other apps for enhanced productivity.
- Adds friction to distracting apps
- Delays app access instead of blocking
- Reduces app usage significantly
- Doom Scroll Emergency Brake (Re-Intervention)
- Free Safari extension for websites
- Integrates with other productivity apps
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Willpower is not enough against social media algorithms! That’s why I made one sec: one sec adds friction to distracting apps to make them less appealing…long-term! This principle works really well: we have gained scientific evidence in numerous research studies with the Max-Planck Institute, with the German and Danish government, and in dozens more scientific collaborations: one sec has incredible effects on your screen time: app usage drops by 57% on average! …just read our App Store reviews or try it for yourself if you don’t believe me (…you should really try it)! How is one sec different from Screen Time limits or app blockers? - one sec DELAYS access to distracting apps instead of blocking apps completely – that’s an important difference psychologically. - This way, we solve the screen time problem at its roots: long-term & sustainably! - one sec is always on, and makes using social media just slightly more annoying…so you’ll end up using it only when you actually have a reason! Which apps can I use with one sec? - You can set up one sec with any app you’d like to use less / more intentional. - Most popular use-cases are: social media, games, video streaming, dating, stock/coin trading, adult content. - Using one sec with one app of your choice if completely free, for more you’ll need to purchase one sec pro (we also need to finance development of our app!). What if I get stuck scrolling? - No worries, one sec offers a Doom Scroll Emergency Brake: We call it Re-Intervention. - After a set time (e.g. 5 minutes) you’ll be kicked out of social media, and you’ll have to go through an intervention again to unlock more time. Where can I learn more about the scientific background of one sec? → https://one-sec.app/research Can I use one sec to interrupt access to websites as well? → Yes, one sec offers a free Safari extension as well. How does one sec work technically? - one sec uses Shortcuts Automation to toggle a deep breath animation whenever you open one of the configured apps (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube…). - This breaks unconscious social media habits short-term (literally, as soon as you have set it up) and even helps long-term by adding more friction when opening these apps. Integrations: - Structured: one sec blocks apps during unfinished tasks. - LENGO: learn vocabulary to unlock social media. I developed one sec for myself in 2020…and it worked so well I decided to upload it to the App Store. Especially for people with ADHD one sec is a great tool to gain back control for incredible focus and concentration. – Frederik Legal information: Available Subscription Options: one sec pro (annual / monthly / lifetime unlock) one sec can contribute mindful moments to the Health App via HealthKit. one sec is covered by U.S. Patent 12,468,828 B2. Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://one-sec.app/privacy/
Scroll Survival
Transform focus time into an engaging game where completing sessions grows your virtual village. Unlock new villagers and buildings by staying off your phone, or complete real-world challenges for early unlocks. Track your progress and maintain streaks in this gamified approach to screen time management.
- Gamified focus sessions
- Village building progression
- Scheduled blocking routines
- App and website blocking
- Unlock challenges
- Streak tracking
- Focus progress insights
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Scroll Survival turns focus time into a game you actually want to finish. Scroll Survival rewards finishing, not just blocking. Complete a session and your village grows with new villagers and buildings. If you need to unlock early, complete a quick real-world challenge first. Stopping early never earns village progress. HOW IT WORKS - Pick the apps, app categories, and websites you want to block. - Start a focus session, or set a recurring routine. - Stay off your phone until the timer ends. - Finish, and your village grows. Your streak lives on. FEATURES - Focus sessions: Choose 5, 15, 25, 45, 60, or 90 minutes and block your selected apps for the whole session. - Scheduled routines: Set recurring blocking schedules for work, study, sleep, the gym, or wind down, with custom days and times. - App and website blocking: Block social apps, video apps, games, websites, and more using Apple Screen Time. You decide what gets blocked. - Grow your village: Every finished session adds villagers and unlocks new buildings in your cozy 3D world. - Streaks: Protect a daily streak by completing at least one session each day. - Unlock Challenge: Need to unlock early? Complete a quick real-world task first, like scanning an object, walking 100 steps, or doing a pose challenge. - Progress and insights: Track your focused hours, sessions, and streaks over time. *All of the above features require an active free trial or subscription.* Scroll Survival uses Apple Screen Time (Family Controls) to block apps right on your device. No account needed. *Note: You can try Scroll Survival with a free trial. After it ends, an active subscription is required to keep using the features listed above.* Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://scrollsurvival.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: one sec | screen time + focus at 24K against Scroll Survival's 2. one sec | screen time + focus also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.4). Scroll Survival's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. one sec | screen time + focus sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Scroll Survival sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Scroll Survival holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: one sec | screen time + focus has 24K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
one sec | screen time + focus ships an update every 2 weeks, Scroll Survival every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | one sec | screen time + focus | Scroll Survival |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (24K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 24K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 367 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | riedel.wtf apps S.L. | Eric Abraham Vargas Flores |
Customer experience
one sec | screen time + focus
Scroll Survival
Bugs and requests
one sec | screen time + focus
Reported bugs
4 issues- App switching issues
- Interventions not triggering properly
- Inconsistent behavior with shortcuts
- Crashes and freezes on certain devices
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to block more apps for free
- Customizable intervention timers
- Scheduled app blocking/access
- Passcode protection for settings
- Sync settings across devices
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- More intervention types (e.g. games)
Scroll Survival
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
one sec | screen time + focus
- one sec pro (1 Month)$6.991 Month
- one sec pro | Family Plan (1 Month)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- one sec pro (1 Year)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
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- one sec pro | Family Plan (1 Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- one sec pro | Lifetime$99.99
- one sec pro | Family Lifetime$149.00
Scroll Survival
- Scroll Survival Unlimited Weekly$4.997 Days
- Scroll Survival Unlimited Monthly$9.991 Month
- Scroll Survival Unlimited Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
Questions
Is one sec | screen time + focus free?
Is Scroll Survival free?
Which has better reviews, one sec | screen time + focus or Scroll Survival?
Do one sec | screen time + focus or Scroll Survival have ads?
Which is updated more often, one sec | screen time + focus or Scroll Survival?
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