Not at all. OneSec is a well-built app with a peer-reviewed study showing it can reduce social media use by 57%. It pioneered the concept of a pause before opening apps. EvilEye builds on that foundation by adding an active engagement mechanism — a smile — that shifts your emotional state, not just your schedule.

OneSec pauses you.
EvilEye transforms you.

Q: Why is smiling better than a breathing timer?

A breathing timer is calming but passive — you wait for it to finish. A smile activates facial feedback pathways that genuinely shift your emotional state AND require conscious physical engagement. The difference is between passively waiting out a delay and actively choosing your state of mind.

Q: Is the Shortcuts setup really that hard?

It's not impossible, but OneSec requires creating iOS Shortcuts automations for each app individually. Many users find this confusing or give up partway through. EvilEye is download, select your apps, done — about 60 seconds total.

Q: Does EvilEye work long-term?

EvilEye builds a transferable skill — conscious decision-making. The awareness habit persists even when you're not using the app. Over time, many users naturally reach for their phone less because the pause-and-choose pattern becomes second nature.

Q: Is EvilEye really free?

Yes. The core smile-to-unlock feature is completely free. No subscription required. We believe the tool that helps people build healthier phone habits should be accessible to everyone.

OneSec is a smart app with a great concept — a breathing pause before you open distracting apps. But a timer runs out. A smile rewires your brain. EvilEye doesn't just make you wait — it makes you conscious.

Download EvilEye — Free

Rated 4.7 on the App Store

Before EvilEye After EvilEye

The Deeper Question

Timer-based interventions are a good start.
But starting isn't finishing.

OneSec pioneered the idea of a pause before social media — and that's genuinely valuable. But research shows that passive delays and active engagement produce very different neurological outcomes.

⏳

Waiting isn't the same as choosing

A timer runs down passively — you just wait it out. There's no active engagement with your conscious mind. The delay adds friction, but friction alone doesn't build awareness.

🔧

Shortcut setup is a real hurdle

OneSec requires creating iOS Shortcuts automations for each app individually. It's a clever approach, but many users find the multi-step setup confusing — or give up partway through.

🔄

The habit doesn't transfer

Passive waiting trains patience with a timer, not self-regulation as a skill. When you stop using the app, the pattern of "wait it out" doesn't translate into real-world impulse control.

💳

One app free, then $3.99/month

OneSec lets you protect one app for free. Full protection across all your distracting apps requires a subscription — $3.99/month or $19.99/year.

⚙️

Automations can break

iOS Shortcuts automations can stop working after system updates or permission changes. When your safety net silently breaks, you're scrolling without realising it.

🧘

Friction without transformation

Adding a delay before app usage is genuinely useful. But without active engagement — like a smile that shifts your emotional state — the pause becomes something to endure, not a moment of growth.

How EvilEye Works

Three steps. No shortcuts.

EvilEye doesn't fight your apps. It changes how you relate to them — so you're the one in control, not the algorithm.

EvilEye is Active

Smile to unlock your protected apps

😊 Smile To Unlock

Choose your protected apps

Select the apps that steal your time — Instagram, TikTok, X, Reddit. EvilEye creates a checkpoint.

5 sec

Smile for 5 seconds

A neurological pattern interrupt that activates conscious decision-making and shifts your emotional state.

Reopen Instagram

for

5min

15min

30min

60min

Stay Protected

Reopen Instagram

for

5min

15min

30min

60min

Stay Protected

Set your own time limit

You decide how long. 5 minutes? 30? Your call. When time's up, EvilEye checks in again.

Head-to-Head

EvilEye vs OneSec

Both add a pause. Only one builds real awareness.

Feature

OneSec

EvilEye

Winner

Approach

Delay Breathing timer — passive wait before opening

Awareness Active smile — conscious emotional shift

Setup

iOS Shortcuts automation per app

60 seconds Download → select apps → done

Cost

$3.99/mo or $19.99/yr (1 app free)

Free No subscription required

Mechanism

Breathing exercise — calming but passive

Smile Active facial feedback — shifts emotional state

Builds self-control?

Partial — builds patience with waiting

Yes Every smile trains conscious decision-making

Psychology

Friction — delay creates a barrier

Pattern interrupt + facial feedback Engages conscious mind

Reliability

Shortcuts can break after iOS updates

Native app No Shortcuts dependency

Best for

People who want a breathing pause

Everyone Anyone wanting a conscious phone relationship

The Science Behind the Smile

Why five seconds of smiling
changes everything

This isn't wellness fluff. EvilEye's mechanism is grounded in established behavioral psychology and neuroscience.

Cognitive Behavioral

Pattern Interruption

Habitual behaviors run on autopilot neural pathways. A smile requirement inserts a deliberate action between trigger and response — the same mechanism used in CBT to break compulsive loops.

Neuroscience

Facial Feedback Activation

The facial feedback hypothesis shows that smiling activates neural pathways associated with positive emotion — even when forced. This shifts your emotional state before you open the app.

Behavioral Design

Implementation Intentions

Research shows "if-then" plans dramatically increase follow-through. EvilEye creates a built-in intention: "If I want to open this app, then I smile first and choose my time."

Self-Determination

Autonomy Preservation

Autonomy is fundamental to lasting motivation. Blocking removes autonomy, creating resentment. EvilEye preserves your sense of choice — making healthy behavior feel self-directed.

Grounded in Harvard-researched behavioral science. Pattern interruption, facial feedback, and implementation intentions are all established mechanisms with decades of peer-reviewed research.

References Wegner, D. M. (1994). Ironic processes of mental control. Psychological Review, 101(1), 34–52. Wang, D. et al. (2020). Ironic effects of thought suppression: A meta-analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(3), 778–793. Daniel Wegner — Wikipedia Harvard Gazette — Remembering Daniel Wegner

The Real Change

Stop managing a problem.
Start outgrowing it.

"I just wait for the timer to end" → "I actively choose my state of mind"

"Setup was confusing with Shortcuts" → "I was protected in 60 seconds"

"The pause feels like punishment" → "The smile actually shifts my mood"

"I still scroll mindlessly after" → "Every session is a conscious choice"

OneSec asks: "Can you wait a moment before scrolling?"
EvilEye asks: "Can you smile — and choose this consciously?"

FAQ

Common questions

Everything you need to know about the difference.

01 Is OneSec a bad app?

Not at all. OneSec is a well-built app with a peer-reviewed study showing it can reduce social media use by 57%. It pioneered the concept of a pause before opening apps — and that's genuinely valuable. EvilEye builds on that foundation by adding an active engagement mechanism that shifts your emotional state, not just your schedule.

02 Why is smiling better than a breathing timer?

A breathing timer is calming but passive — you wait for it to finish. A smile activates facial feedback pathways that genuinely shift your emotional state AND require conscious physical engagement. The difference is between passively waiting out a delay and actively choosing your state of mind.

03 Can't I just fake a smile?

You can — but that's actually the point. Even a forced smile requires conscious effort, which breaks the autopilot cycle. Research on facial feedback shows that even a deliberate smile activates positive emotional pathways. The magic isn't in the sincerity — it's in the interruption.

04 Is the Shortcuts setup really that hard?

It's not impossible, but OneSec requires creating iOS Shortcuts automations for each app individually. Many users find this confusing or give up partway through. EvilEye is download → select apps → done — about 60 seconds total.

05 Does EvilEye work long-term?

EvilEye builds a transferable skill — conscious decision-making. The awareness habit persists even when you're not using the app. Over time, many users naturally reach for their phone less because the pause-and-choose pattern becomes second nature.

06 Is EvilEye really free?

Yes. The core smile-to-unlock feature is completely free. No subscription required. We believe the tool that helps people build healthier phone habits should be accessible to everyone.

OneSec pauses you.EvilEye transforms you.

Timer-based interventions are a good start.But starting isn't finishing.