Ever catch yourself unlocking your phone without a clear reason? A few minutes in a queue or a short break between tasks can lead us to default to autopilot. One Sec lives in that gap: before you open an app you’ve marked as a distraction, it inserts a short pause, so you can decide whether or not you actually want to open it.

What we love: One Sec feels intentional. It allows a short grace period before any intervention kicks in, which is perfect for quick checks that don’t need to turn into a scrolling session. There’s also an Always Ask mode that lets you decide every time you open an app how long you want to stay in it, turning time limits into a conscious choice rather than a hard block.

Quick tip: Activate Healthy Alternatives so that when you pause, you’re offered a way to reset instead. There are lots of suggestions to choose from, including stretching, breathing exercises and fun mental challenges.

Meet the creator: Berlin–based Frederik Riedel focuses on small interventions that have a big impact. He’s also behind the climbing and bouldering app Redpoint. Different worlds, same idea: progress comes from awareness, repetition and knowing when to pause.