The Opal alternative that pays you back: a free app that turns your block into a language lesson
Opal blocks distracting apps in focus sessions. Glosso does the blocking too, but instead of a blank screen you earn your scroll back with a one-minute vocabulary session. It is completely free.
- Free forever, no Pro tier to unlock
- Learn a language while your apps stay blocked
- Enforced by iOS Screen Time, not willpower
Free · No ads · Uses Apple Screen Time API
9 languages available
Why people look for an Opal alternative
Opal is a genuinely polished focus app. It blocks distracting apps during focus sessions and on recurring schedules, offers deep-focus modes, and shows detailed usage analytics so you can see where your hours go. For a lot of people it does exactly what it promises: it puts a wall between you and the apps that pull you in.
The friction usually shows up in two places. First, cost. Opal's full feature set sits behind an Opal Pro subscription, and many people feel that paying a recurring fee just to stay off their own phone is a tough sell, especially once the novelty wears off. Looking for a free alternative to Opal is one of the most common reasons people start shopping around.
Second, the payoff. When Opal blocks an app you get a focus screen and your time back, which is great, but the moment of being blocked is empty by design. Some people want that blocked moment to actually do something for them rather than just stop them. That is the gap Glosso is built to fill.
Glosso: the block that teaches you something
Glosso keeps the part of Opal that works, a real system-level block on the apps that distract you, and changes what happens when you hit it. Instead of staring at a focus screen, you complete a quick vocabulary session in the language you are learning, as short as one minute, and then your app unlocks. The urge to scroll becomes a few minutes of progress in Spanish, Japanese, German, or any of nine languages.
And it is 100% free. No Pro tier, no trial, no paywall hiding the features you actually need. You get the blocking and the learning, all of it, without a subscription.
Completely free, every feature
There is no Opal Pro equivalent in Glosso. Blocking, scheduling, all nine languages, everything is included at no cost. Nothing is locked behind a paywall and there is no trial timer counting down.
Learn instead of just waiting
Where Opal gives you a blank focus screen, Glosso gives you a one-minute vocabulary session. The same moment that used to be lost to scrolling turns into real progress in a language you care about.
Real iOS Screen Time enforcement
Glosso is built on Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls APIs, so the block is enforced at the system level. It is not a flimsy reminder you can swipe away, it is a genuine wall between you and Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.
Nine languages, switch anytime
English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, and Korean are all included. Learn one, dabble in several, or switch whenever you feel like it, no extra purchase required.
How Glosso works
Pick the apps to block
Choose the apps that eat your day, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, Facebook. Glosso uses Apple's Screen Time to lock them, just like Opal would, but the lock comes with a payoff.
Earn your scroll with a quick lesson
When you reach for a blocked app, Glosso asks for a short vocabulary session first. One minute is enough. Answer a handful of words in your target language and the app unlocks.
Watch the time turn into progress
Every unlock is a tiny lesson, so the hours you would have scrolled away quietly become vocabulary you actually keep. Glosso, the little creature, eats your screen time and feeds you a language instead.
“Honestly, it's genius. It cuts me off cold in my scroll to make me work on my Spanish. Best app to stop wasting time!”
“Finally a useful app. I'd been looking for ages for a blocker that's both useful and fun. It's great!”
“The vocabulary toll… a bit annoying at first but honestly it works, a minute here, a minute there, and I'm learning my Spanish vocab, it's nice.”
Glosso vs Opal at a glance
Both apps block distracting apps using iOS Screen Time, so the core focus mechanic feels familiar. The difference is what the block costs you and what it gives back. Here is how Glosso compares to Opal on the points that usually matter when people are choosing.
| Glosso | Opal | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, all features | Free basics, paid Pro plans |
| Learn a language while blocked | ✓ | ✗ |
| What happens when blocked | One-minute vocabulary lesson | Focus screen, app paused |
| iOS Screen Time enforcement | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reward for staying off your phone | Real language progress | Time saved and usage stats |
| Platform | iPhone (iOS) | iPhone (iOS) |
FAQ
Is Glosso really free?
Yes, completely. Glosso has no subscription, no trial, no paywall, and no ads. Unlike Opal, there is no Pro tier holding back the features you want, the blocking and all nine languages are included for everyone at no cost.
Is Glosso a good alternative to Opal?
If you liked Opal's idea of blocking distracting apps but wanted it to be free and to give you something back, yes. Glosso does the same system-level blocking through Apple's Screen Time, but turns each blocked moment into a quick language lesson instead of just a pause.
What is the difference between Glosso and Opal?
Opal is a paid focus app that blocks apps in sessions and schedules and shows usage analytics. Glosso is free and reframes the block: to unlock a distracting app you finish a one-minute vocabulary session, so your screen time becomes language learning rather than a blank focus screen.
Does Glosso block the same apps as Opal?
Yes. Because Glosso is built on Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls APIs, you can block the same distracting apps, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, Facebook and more, with the same system-level enforcement Opal relies on.
Do I need to learn a language to use it?
Learning is the whole point, it is how you earn your scroll back. The sessions are tiny, as short as one minute, and you can pick from nine languages and switch anytime. If you only want a plain blocker with no payoff, Glosso may not be the right fit, but if you want your block to be useful, it is built for you.
Does Glosso work on Android?
Not yet. Glosso is iPhone only, because it relies on Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls APIs to enforce the block at the system level. Like Opal, it lives on iOS.
Trade the focus screen for a free language lesson
Get the blocking you wanted from Opal, with no subscription and a real payoff. Block your distracting apps and turn every unlock into a minute of progress in the language you are learning.
Download freeFree · No ads · Uses Apple Screen Time API