Updated March 2026 | Pricing verified, features tested on iOS 26
You opened Snapchat to reply to one message. You've opened it 30 more times since then. That was today. Here's the uncomfortable truth: every time you "just try harder" to stay off Instagram, you're fighting a losing battle. Willpower is a finite resource. Instagram's engineering team has effectively unlimited resources. The One Sec vs Blank Spaces decision comes down to how you want to even the odds: interrupt the impulse after it fires, or remove the trigger so it never fires at all. One Sec adds a breathing exercise between you and the app. You tap Instagram, a 10-second pause appears, and you decide whether to continue. It's the only screen time app with peer-reviewed proof that this works: a 2023 study in PNAS (one of the most prestigious science journals in the world) found a 57% reduction in app usage (Grüning, Riedel & Lorenz-Spreen, PNAS 2023). Blank Spaces takes a different approach. It replaces your home screen with widgets. App icons disappear. Instagram isn't behind a breathing exercise. Instagram isn't visible at all. You can still open it, but you have to go looking for it. One intervenes. The other prevents. Both use friction, but the friction hits at completely different moments.Quick Comparison
| Feature | One Sec | Blank Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Intervention at moment of opening (breathing pause after tap) | Prevention via launcher replacement (apps hidden from home screen) |
| Scientific Backing | PNAS 2023, CHI 2024, Danish/German govt studies (57% reduction) | No academic studies (founded 2024) |
| Platform | iOS, Android, browser extension (Safari, Chrome, Firefox) | iOS only |
| Free Tier | Yes (1 app only) | No (free trial available) |
| Pricing (Annual) | $19.99/year | $17.99/year |
| Pricing (Lifetime) | $99.99 | $23.99 |
| App Store Rating | 4.8/5 (22,000+ ratings) | 4.6/5 (5,000+ ratings) |
| Languages | 30 languages | English only |
| Unique Feature | 8+ intervention types + Re-Intervention (doom scroll brake) | Widget-based launcher + Detox Mode (full phone lockdown) |
| Family Plan | Yes ($29.99/yr for 6 people) | No |
What Is One Sec?
One Sec is a friction app. It sits between you and your distracting apps. When you tap Instagram, instead of the app opening immediately, One Sec triggers an intervention: a breathing exercise, a mirror showing your face, a prompt to type random text, or a physical action like rotating your phone. After the intervention, you choose: continue to the app, or close it and move on. The idea comes from behavioral psychology. Unconscious habits have three parts: cue, routine, reward. You see the app icon (cue), tap it without thinking (routine), and start scrolling (reward). One Sec disrupts the routine by inserting a pause between the cue and the action. That 10 seconds of breathing is enough to engage your conscious brain and ask, "Do I actually want to do this right now?" This isn't just theory. A 2023 study published in PNAS, one of the most cited scientific journals in the world, found that One Sec reduced app usage by 57% on average (Grüning, Riedel & Lorenz-Spreen, PNAS 2023). A follow-up at CHI 2024 studied long-term effects. The Danish government ran a field experiment with young consumers. The German government tested it with adolescents. No other screen time app has this level of academic validation. One Sec has a dedicated research scientist, Dr. David J. Grüning, from the Max-Planck Institute for Human Behavior and Stanford Center for Biodesign. This isn't a marketing claim dressed up as science. It's the real thing. The app works on iOS, Android, and through a browser extension for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. The free tier lets you set up an intervention on one app. Pro ($19.99/year or $99.99 lifetime) unlocks unlimited apps, Re-Intervention (a "doom scroll emergency brake" that kicks you out of an app after a set time and requires another intervention to continue), emotion tracking, journaling, and healthy alternative suggestions (One Sec, App Store, March 2026). NYT Wirecutter called it "incredibly effective." Their writer attempted to open Instagram 35 times in one day out of pure habit. The breathing exercise stopped them almost every time (NYT Wirecutter). The catch: that 35-times-a-day moment was Day 1. Several Reddit users report the same pattern. "At first, it worked pretty well, but over time I felt like it became less and less effective" (Reddit r/nosurf, August 2025). "Eventually it got a bit annoying but it did make me more aware of the number of times I opened up apps thoughtlessly" (Reddit r/nosurf, November 2024). Intervention fatigue is real. The breathing exercise that stopped you on Day 1 becomes muscle memory by Day 30. One Sec fights this with variety: 8+ intervention types including mirror (see your own face), rotate phone (spin it 3 times), type random text, 4-7-8 breathing, conversational reflection, and integrations with productivity apps. Switching interventions regularly keeps the friction fresh. Whether that's enough long-term depends on the person.What Is Blank Spaces?
Blank Spaces is a minimalist phone launcher for iPhone. It replaces your home screen with widgets: calendar, weather, to-do list, photos. App icons disappear. Instagram is still installed but buried in the App Library. To open it, you swipe to the App Library and find it manually, or pull down Spotlight and type the name. The theory: if you don't see the app, you don't tap it. Research on habit disruption suggests that removing environmental cues is more reliable than building resistance to them (Wood & Neal, 2007). One Sec intervenes at the moment you tap an app icon. Blank Spaces removes the icon so there's nothing to tap. Blank Spaces also includes its own intervention features. When you do search for an app, you can set unlock requirements: a breathing exercise, a passcode, going outside, or doing push-ups. The difference is timing. One Sec's interventions fire every time you tap an app on your normal home screen. Blank Spaces' interventions fire only if you actively go looking for the app in the first place, which happens far less often when the icon isn't staring at you. App blocking runs through Apple's Screen Time API at the system level. Detox Mode goes further, turning your iPhone into a temporary dumb phone: calls and texts only, everything else blocked for a duration you set. 50,000+ members. Featured in The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch. 4.6/5 App Store rating. iOS-only. Pricing: $3.99/month, $17.99/year, or $23.99 lifetime (Blank Spaces, App Store, March 2026).Key Differences
When the Friction Happens
This is the fundamental difference and it matters more than any feature list. With One Sec, the sequence is: you see the app icon on your home screen, muscle memory fires, you tap it, and then the breathing exercise appears. The intervention catches you after the impulse. The PNAS study proves this works: 57% of the time, people decided not to continue after the pause. But 43% of the time, they went through with it anyway. And every time you tap, you're practicing the habit of tapping. One Sec makes the outcome different. It doesn't change the trigger. With Blank Spaces, the sequence is: you unlock your phone, see widgets instead of app icons, and the impulse to tap Instagram never fires because Instagram isn't visible. You might think of Instagram consciously and go looking for it. But the unconscious, muscle-memory tap that accounts for most phone addiction doesn't happen. You can't absent-mindedly tap an icon that isn't there. One Sec is reactive. Blank Spaces is proactive. One Sec assumes you'll see the app and tap it, then intervenes. Blank Spaces assumes you won't tap what you can't see.Both apps also include traditional blocking through the Screen Time API. One Sec has a Strict Block mode (Pro) that prevents app access entirely during scheduled times. Blank Spaces blocks through Screen Time as well, with Detox Mode for full phone lockdown. The blocking is secondary for both. The friction is the product.
Scientific Credibility
One Sec wins this category decisively. PNAS 2023, CHI 2024, a Danish government field experiment, a German government study with adolescents. Dr. David J. Grüning from Max-Planck and Stanford runs the research. A 57% average reduction in app usage is a real, peer-reviewed, replicated finding. Blank Spaces has no academic studies. It launched in 2024. The approach, reducing environmental cues to reduce habitual behavior, is well-supported by decades of habit research (Wood & Neal, 2007; Verplanken & Wood, 2006). But nobody has published a peer-reviewed paper studying Blank Spaces specifically. If scientific proof matters to you, One Sec is the strongest option on the market. No other screen time app, not Opal, not Freedom, not any of them, has PNAS-level validation.Habituation and Long-Term Effectiveness
Here's where it gets interesting. One Sec's breathing exercise is powerful on Day 1. By Day 30, Reddit users consistently report it fades. The intervention that once stopped you cold becomes background noise. You learn to breathe through it on autopilot and tap "Continue" without thinking. One Sec combats this with intervention variety: mirror, rotate phone, type random text, 4-7-8 breathing, conversational reflection. Switching up the friction keeps it novel. The Re-Intervention feature (Pro) also helps by kicking you out of an app after a set time, requiring another intervention to continue. It's a real effort to stay ahead of your own habituation. Blank Spaces doesn't have a habituation problem in the same way. A widget-based home screen isn't an intervention you get used to. It's just what your phone looks like. You don't habituate to the absence of something. You might learn to navigate to the App Library faster over time, and Blank Spaces' optional unlock interventions (breathing, passcode, push-ups) could face the same fatigue as One Sec's. But the launcher replacement itself doesn't wear off.Pricing and Value
| Plan | One Sec | Blank Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes (1 app only) | No (free trial available) |
| Annual | $19.99/yr | $17.99/yr |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | $23.99 |
| Family | $29.99/yr (6 people) | N/A |
Platform Coverage
One Sec works on iOS, Android, and desktop browsers (Safari, Chrome, Firefox extension). The browser extension means you can add friction to distracting websites on your laptop, not just apps on your phone. Blank Spaces is iPhone-only. No Android, no desktop, no browser. If your screen time problem includes desktop browsing or an Android device, One Sec covers more ground. The Android caveat: One Sec's Android version is limited compared to iOS. Reddit users note fewer features and weaker integration. "The Android version seems very lacking compared to the Apple One" (Reddit, February 2023). If you're an Android user, test the free tier before committing.One Sec Pros and Cons
Pros:- Peer-reviewed scientific proof: PNAS 2023, CHI 2024, government studies (57% reduction)
- Free tier for 1 app (test before buying)
- 8+ intervention types keep friction varied and novel
- Re-Intervention: doom scroll emergency brake kicks you out after set time
- Browser extension for desktop (Safari, Chrome, Firefox)
- Family plan: $29.99/year for up to 6 people
- 30 languages (broadest support in category)
- 4.8/5 App Store rating from 22,000+ reviews
- Allows intentional use: doesn't block completely, lets you proceed if you choose
- Privacy-first: all processing happens on device
- Intervention fatigue: breathing exercise becomes routine over weeks/months (Reddit pattern)
- Reactive, not proactive: intervenes after you tap, doesn't prevent the tap
- Free tier limited to 1 app (must upgrade for multiple)
- Lifetime $99.99 is 317% more expensive than Blank Spaces' $23.99
- Android version limited compared to iOS
- Can be bypassed through iOS Settings like all Screen Time apps
- Subscription model: annual renewal (vs Blank Spaces one-time purchase culture)
Blank Spaces Pros and Cons
Pros:- Replaces entire home screen: prevents the tap instead of intervening after it
- $17.99/year or $23.99 lifetime (317% cheaper lifetime than One Sec)
- Low habituation risk: launcher replacement doesn't wear off like interventions
- Own unlock interventions: breathing, passcode, going outside, push-ups
- Detox Mode creates a temporary dumb phone
- Set-and-forget: no ongoing management
- Featured in The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch
- No tracking or data collection
- No academic studies (One Sec has peer-reviewed PNAS validation)
- iOS only: no Android, no desktop, no browser extension
- No free tier (free trial available)
- No family plan
- English only (One Sec supports 30 languages)
- Smaller user base (50,000 vs One Sec's larger base with 22K+ reviews)
- Newer to market (2024 vs 2020)
- Apps still accessible via App Library and Spotlight search
Which Should You Choose?
Choose One Sec if you want scientifically proven friction. You value that a PNAS study confirmed a 57% reduction. You want the flexibility to still open apps intentionally after a pause, rather than hiding them completely. You need cross-platform coverage (Android, browser extension for desktop). You want a free tier to test with one app before paying. You're willing to rotate intervention types to stay ahead of habituation. Choose Blank Spaces if you want to change what your phone looks like entirely. You'd rather prevent the impulse than interrupt it. You don't want to think about screen time. You want to set up your phone once and move on. You want the cheapest lifetime option ($23.99 vs $99.99). Your distraction problem is your iPhone specifically, not your laptop or Android device. Choose both if you want Blank Spaces as your permanent home screen (hiding apps from view) and One Sec as a secondary layer for the times you do search for an app in the App Library. Blank Spaces prevents most unconscious taps. One Sec catches the conscious ones. They don't conflict on iOS.Final Thoughts
One Sec has the science. A PNAS study, government validation, and a dedicated research scientist are credentials no other screen time app can match. If peer-reviewed evidence matters to you, One Sec is the strongest product in this category. Blank Spaces has the simplicity. Replace your home screen once and stop thinking about screen time. No interventions to habituate to, no sessions to manage, no breathing exercises to autopilot through. If you want a quieter phone rather than a smarter blocker, Blank Spaces is the more permanent change. Try One Sec free (1 app) to see if the intervention approach clicks. Try Blank Spaces if you want to change what your phone looks like entirely.FAQ
Can I use One Sec and Blank Spaces together?
Yes. Blank Spaces hides app icons from your home screen, reducing unconscious taps. One Sec adds a breathing exercise when you do open an app. Together, Blank Spaces handles prevention and One Sec handles intervention. In practice, Blank Spaces' launcher replacement reduces how often One Sec's interventions trigger, since you won't see apps to tap them.Is One Sec scientifically proven to work?
Yes. A 2023 study in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) found One Sec reduced app usage by 57% on average. A CHI 2024 study examined long-term effects. The Danish and German governments ran independent studies with young consumers and adolescents. One Sec is the only screen time app with this level of peer-reviewed academic validation.Why does One Sec become less effective over time?
Intervention fatigue. The breathing exercise that stops you cold on Day 1 becomes routine by Day 30. Reddit users consistently report this pattern. Your brain learns to autopilot through the pause. One Sec addresses this with 8+ intervention types (mirror, rotate phone, type text, conversational reflection) that you can rotate. Whether rotation solves habituation long-term varies by person.Does Blank Spaces have breathing exercises like One Sec?
Yes. Blank Spaces includes unlock interventions: breathing exercises, passcode entry, going outside, and push-ups. The difference is when they trigger. One Sec's interventions fire every time you tap an app on your normal home screen. Blank Spaces' interventions fire only when you actively search for an app in the App Library, which happens far less frequently when icons aren't visible on your home screen.Which is better for ADHD?
Both apps are used by people with ADHD. One Sec explicitly mentions ADHD in its App Store description and provides external structure through scheduled interventions. Blank Spaces' simplified home screen reduces visual overwhelm and impulse decisions. One Sec works if external accountability (breathing pauses, emotion tracking) helps you. Blank Spaces works if reducing visual clutter and simplifying your phone helps you. Try One Sec's free tier (1 app) and Blank Spaces' free trial to test both.Which is cheaper?
Annual pricing is close: $19.99 (One Sec) vs $17.99 (Blank Spaces). Lifetime is where the gap opens: $99.99 (One Sec) vs $23.99 (Blank Spaces). That's 317% more for One Sec lifetime. One Sec offers a free tier (1 app) and a family plan ($29.99/year for 6 people), which Blank Spaces doesn't match.Can One Sec work on desktop?
Yes. One Sec has a browser extension for Safari, Chrome, and Firefox that adds interventions before opening distracting websites on your laptop. Blank Spaces is iPhone-only with no desktop support. If your distraction problem includes web browsing on a computer, One Sec covers that.What is a minimalist phone launcher?
A minimalist phone launcher replaces your iPhone's default home screen with a simpler interface. Widgets instead of app icons. Calendar, weather, to-do list instead of rows of colorful apps. Apps stay installed but are hidden from the main screen. The idea: reduce visual clutter and remove the impulse to tap into distracting apps. Blank Spaces is the most popular minimalist phone launcher for iPhone, with 50,000+ members and coverage in The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch.Sources: One Sec homepage, One Sec research, Grüning et al., PNAS 2023, One Sec App Store listing, NYT Wirecutter, Blank Spaces App Store listing. All verified March 2026.
