one sec | screen time + focus vs CentralLoop
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/
CentralLoop
This app centralizes household management, offering a shared calendar, gift wish lists, chore tracking with rewards, and private photo albums. It also features recipe saving and a wall display mode for shared devices.
- Shared family calendar
- Gift and birthday wish lists
- Chore assignment and rewards
- Kitchen wall display mode
- Recipe saving and grocery list
- Private family photo albums
- Member profiles and notifications
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CentralLoop keeps your household on the same page — one place for the calendar, the chores, the grocery list, tonight's dinner, this weekend's photos, and the birthday wish lists. SHARED CALENDAR Everyone's schedule in one view. Import from school portals, sports schedules, and other calendars — even a photo of a paper schedule — and let the app sort it out. Birthdays and anniversaries stay on the calendar year after year. GIFT AND BIRTHDAY LISTS Every family member keeps a wish list. Add items from any store with a link, share the list with grandparents and relatives, and let them claim gifts so nothing gets bought twice — without spoiling the surprise. CHORES AND REWARDS Assign chores, set token values, and let kids earn toward rewards they actually want. Parents approve, kids redeem, and the family sees progress on the board. WALL DISPLAY Turn any tablet or old device into a kitchen display that rotates the day's calendar, chores, lists, and photos — with day and night themes that switch on their own. RECIPES AND GROCERIES Save a recipe from a link, a photo, or a PDF and it becomes a real recipe card. Tap the ingredients you need and they land on the grocery list. ALBUMS Share family photos privately. Create guest albums for events so relatives can drop in their photos, then relive the day as a story. BUILT FOR FAMILIES Profiles for every member, including little ones who don't have their own phone. Notification settings per person, so each parent gets what matters to them. Weekly catch-up digests so nobody misses what changed. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your family's data belongs to your family. Photos are stripped of location data on upload, and you choose how your encryption keys are held. CentralLoop is for households with a family account. Sign in and everyone's in the loop.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CentralLoop at none against one sec | screen time + focus's 6. CentralLoop also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). one sec | screen time + focus's advantage is ratings volume (24K vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. CentralLoop asks for nothing beyond the download.
CentralLoop 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
one sec | screen time + focus ships an update every 2 weeks, CentralLoop every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | one sec | screen time + focus | CentralLoop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (24K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 24K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 367 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | riedel.wtf apps S.L. | Axiom Visions, LLC |
Customer experience
one sec | screen time + focus
CentralLoop
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)
CentralLoop
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
CentralLoop
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is one sec | screen time + focus free?
Is CentralLoop free?
Which has better reviews, one sec | screen time + focus or CentralLoop?
Do one sec | screen time + focus or CentralLoop have ads?
Which is updated more often, one sec | screen time + focus or CentralLoop?
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