One Sec app – Isn’t it too simple?
What do you think makes some apps extremely addictive, while others cause absolutely no dependency?
The answer is both simple and complex at the same time. From my experience, it comes down to two factors: the amount of emotional impact we get and how convenient the app is.
Take TikTok, for example—one of the most addictive apps out there. But let’s imagine it wasn’t so convenient. Would it still be as popular?
What if, instead of algorithms selecting your videos, you had to manually adjust filters to find the content you like?
Would TikTok still be just as successful? Almost certainly not—TikTok or, say, Instagram likely wouldn’t stand a chance without convenience.
Convenience is one of the most important factors for an app’s success. Convenience and the absence of annoying elements.
Let’s talk in more detail about this “absence of annoying elements.”
Have you ever found that something in your favorite app/game—or in life generally—suddenly becomes so irritating that it completely changes your attitude toward it?
I’ve definitely experienced that. It made me realize that even the most beloved things/apps/websites, etc., can become unbearable simply because they stop being convenient or familiar.
That got me thinking: what if I apply this logic to boost productivity and reduce the time I spend on apps that I find too time-consuming?
After a bit of research, I discovered the One Sec app.
Does it really work?
This app works in two ways:
- According to the creator’s original idea, before each launch of an app you’ve marked as undesirable, you’re forced to wait 5–7 seconds before you can open it. The idea is that these few seconds prompt you to reconsider why you opened the app in the first place. In those 5–7 seconds, you become aware that it might have been a compulsive habit.
- My personal experience:
For the first few days, I really did start to think about why I was opening certain apps. My thoughts were something like, “Wow, why did I just open this app?”
But after a few days, I began to hate One Sec app. Basically, it made opening certain apps unbearable because those 5 seconds felt like an eternity.
I was about to uninstall and forget this mischievous app, BUT then I noticed something very interesting. With each delay, my irritation with the target app grew. 1 Sec app makes those “annoying” apps so frustrating that, over time, the app you couldn’t tear yourself away from becomes downright intolerable. After a few weeks, before opening it again, you really start to think twice—“Do I want to suffer through this unpleasant experience again?”
My experiment involved Telegram. Before this experiment with one sec app, I spent about 1 to 1.5 hours a day reading news; now I average 20 minutes a day.
For me, that’s a huge win, and it’s currently the only app I know that doesn’t outright ban, block, or restrict other apps, but instead makes them unappealing.
Personally, this is the most effective approach I’ve found. In the free version, you can block one app. Install it, try it for a week or two, and if you experience results similar to mine, you can confidently go premium.
Objections, Anger, Bargaining…
First stage of using 1 Sec App
You start to notice that every time you open your favorite app, an annoying suggestion pops up, asking you to take a deep breath. There’s a 99% chance you won’t actually do it; you’ll just wait for this inconvenience to end so you can finally get into your app.
It happens once, twice, three times… and then you move on to the next stage.
Second Stage
With every subsequent attempt, the app annoys you more and more. Anger sets in, and you start hating the app and want to delete it. Which is quite logical—who wants to suffer intentionally? However, you probably remember why you installed it in the first place, so you keep going.
Third Stage
By this point, you’ve come to terms with the fact that each time you open the app, you have to wait 15 seconds with a prompt to take a deep breath.
At this stage—at least in my experience—a subtle but very important shift happens. Instead of being annoyed at One Sec, you start feeling annoyed at the app you blocked using One Sec app. I want to emphasize how crucial this moment is. Give yourself credit if you’ve reached this point, and let me know in the comments if you’ve experienced the same thing.
From this point on, you begin to develop a negative attitude toward that social network (or whichever app you blocked).
Fourth Stage
You start thinking twice before reopening the blocked app. Congratulations—you’re making real progress! Our brains work in such a way that, when faced with constant unpleasantness, we begin to question whether we truly need it.
This is when a negative association forms. But what’s really great is that this negative association isn’t with One Sec itself, but rather with the app you blocked. Your brain thinks, “Am I a masochist to keep forcing myself to open this nonsense?”
Fifth Stage
You lose interest in the blocked app. I realized this somewhat by accident. One day, I was scrolling through my apps and noticed a social network on which I used to spend a lot of time. I caught myself thinking that it no longer interested me. In my mind, there was no direct link to One Sec, and it seemed like a coincidence—but after reflecting on it, I’m convinced that One Sec definitely had something to do with it.
Summary of 1 Sec App
Advantages:
- Simplicity
- Effectiveness (if you can survive the first week)
- Price
- Statistics
Disadvantages:
- Also the price, because you may feel the app is too simple to pay for. That’s why I suggest trying the free version with one blocked app first. If you like it, you can go premium.
- It’s pretty tough to endure at first.
A simple but effective app that requires some effort and patience at the beginning, and then rewards you generously for it. Personally, it helped me a lot in my fight against procrastination.
If you’re also interested in tracking your app usage patterns in a more detailed and insightful way, check out our StayFree Productivity App review.
FAQ
Is the One sec app free?
The One Sec app offers a free version that allows you to block one app. If you find it useful, you can upgrade to the premium version for additional features and more app blocks.
What does One sec app do?
One Sec app helps reduce compulsive app usage by introducing a short delay (5–7 seconds) before launching an app. This delay makes you more aware of your habit and eventually creates a negative association with the app you’re trying to use less. Over time, it helps decrease time spent on distracting apps without outright blocking them.
How do i use 1 Sec app?
- Choose the app you want to block (the free version allows one app).
- Each time you try to open the blocked app, One Sec will prompt you to take a deep breath and wait a few seconds. Or ask how much time you plan to spend during this session.
- Over time, this delay makes the app feel less appealing, helping you reduce your usage gradually.