What the Tech App of the Day: One Sec

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - How much time do you spend each day endlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or another app? Probably too much.

But there’s help in the form of another smartphone app that is already assisting millions of people from spending too much time on social media.

Could one second make the difference in you checking Facebook or Instagram? If the app didn’t open automatically, would it make you think twice about wasting your time?

That’s the premise behind the app called “one sec.” The app, available for iPhone and Android devices, forces you to take a one-second break before the app opens.

Here’s how it works

The app works through Apple’s shortcuts app or natively on Android devices. Set up isn’t the easiest thing in the world but the app walks you through each step with a how-to video.

You’ll open the shortcuts app and set up new automation, selecting the ‘app’ option to choose what happens when you open an app. We did TikTok.

Tap the “next” then “add action.” Tap apps and scroll to choose one sec. Now, when you tap to open TikTok, one sec will prompt you to think twice before continuing.

The idea is to delay the gratification of scrolling mindlessly, to take a breath and think it over. You can continue of course, but those who accept say they have a time-wasting problem and might reconsider.

Does it really work? One Sec has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times and has a nearly 5-star rating in both app stores. It isn’t free. There is a $15/year annual subscription.

The one-sec app also works as a Chrome browser extension to keep you from checking any social media platform or website.

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