brb vs Opal
Both apps can block distracting iPhone apps with Apple's Screen Time controls. Opal is built around focus sessions and schedules. brb is built around walking first.
Direct answer
Choose Opal when you want timed focus blocks, Allow Only mode, and Deep Focus / Hard Mode. Choose brb when the unlock should be a step goal, not the end of a timer or a break you grant yourself.
Side by side
| Feature | brb | Opal |
|---|---|---|
| Core rule | Walk to unlock chosen apps | Block apps on sessions, schedules, and limits |
| Blocking technology | Apple Screen Time | Apple Screen Time |
| Strict enforcement | Strict Mode | Hard Mode / Deep Focus (Pro) |
| Allow-only / brick phone mode | No | Yes (Allow Only) |
| Ordinary unlock | Daily step goal via Apple Health | Session ends, schedule ends, or allowed break |
| Emergency / break | 5 minutes, once per day | Breaks and unblock controls depending on mode |
| Best for | Movement-linked unlock | Timed focus and screen-time reduction |
brb is a better fit if
- — You want TikTok or Instagram locked until you walk.
- — Morning doomscrolling is the failure mode, and zero steps should mean locked apps.
- — You want a simple rule: hit the goal, then the apps open.
Opal is a better fit if
- — You want schedules, sessions, timers, and Allow Only focus modes.
- — You want Hard Mode / Deep Focus so a session cannot be cancelled easily.
- — You care about focus scores, reports, and social accountability more than steps.
What Opal is good at
Opal is a Screen Time control and focus app. It can run sessions, schedules, time limits, and timers. Allow Only can block everything except apps you explicitly permit. Pro adds Hard Mode / Deep Focus so you cannot casually cancel or bypass a rule.
If your problem is “protect the next two hours of work,” Opal’s model matches that. It is not trying to make you walk.
What brb is good at
brb has one main rule. You choose the apps. You set a step goal. Those apps stay blocked until Apple Health says you reached it. Strict Mode removes the ignore button while they are locked. Emergency Unlock is five minutes, once a day.
That is a different bargain than a focus timer. The cost of opening TikTok is movement, not waiting out a clock or negotiating a break inside the blocker.
Honest overlap
Both need Screen Time permission. Both can feel strict. Neither should be stacked with conflicting iOS App Limits on the same apps. If you already love Opal’s schedules and only want better mornings, you may not need brb. If Opal’s breaks still let you open the feed before you have moved, a step lock is the missing rule.
Questions
Is brb an Opal alternative?
It can be, if what you want is walk-to-unlock. It is a weak alternative if you need Allow Only mode, focus leaderboards, or Mac blocking. Those are Opal’s strengths.
Does Opal unlock apps when you walk?
No. Opal’s unlock is tied to sessions, schedules, limits, and break rules. brb’s unlock is tied to a daily step goal from Apple Health.
Can I use brb and Opal together?
Possible, but easy to conflict. Two blockers on the same apps often fight. Pick one system for the apps that matter most.
Walk first tomorrow morning
Download brb free and let your first unlock of the day be steps — not your phone.
Download on the App Store