The Brick is not a traditional screentime app. It’s a physical magnet that is the key to blocking certain apps on your phone.
Jeffrey Hazelwood/Anna Gragert/CNET; Brick/GettyImagesMy eternal goal is to spend less time on my iPhone has protect my mental health. However, as a wellness writer whose job it is to stay up to date with the latest trends and news in health technology, it can be difficult for me to reduce my screen time. Plus, iPhone and built-in app screen time limits don’t work for me, as I find they are easy to disable in seconds with a few clicks.
Perhaps the more than a billion people who spent at least three hours a day scrolling through social media in 2020 can relate, especially since the pandemic years supercharged our scrolling and created poor digital hygiene habits that many of us still haven’t recovered from.
Yet since its launch in 2023, a palm-sized device called the Brick has gained popularity for its ability to stop people from scrolling endlessly on their phones. It’s a $59 square magnet “powered by NFC [near-field communication] chip built into the device,” Brick co-founder TJ Driver told CNET.
“Instead of relying on batteries or an external power source, it is powered directly by your smartphone’s NFC reader when you tap it,” he explains. “This communicates with your Brick app to lock (or unlock) your selected apps, creating real friction between you and your screen time.”
In other words, you have to physically tap your phone on Brick to turn the lock on or off, so you can’t just tap it like you would a screen alert or app on your phone.
To find out if the Brick is the key to cutting ties with doomscrollingI spent months tapping my phone on the surface of this unassuming gray square.
How to Cement the Brick in Your Life
Your Brick purchase includes the physical Brick and access to the Brick app, no subscription necessary. Inside the box is a QR code that takes you to a web page where you can download the app for iOS or Android.
For the iOS app, Apple requires an iPhone password, but you can remove it after using Brick for the first time. As for Android users, Brick will also direct you to your device settings to allow the Brick app, alarms and reminders, and access to notifications.
One Brick can be used with multiple phones, and a single phone can be used with multiple Bricks if you want to keep them in different locations, like at home and at work.
The Brick was magnetized to my fridge.
Anna Gragert/CNETHow to start using Brick
Once you’ve created an account, you’ll need to grant the app access to your phone’s screen time tracker. Next, you create your first mode, name it, and select the apps and websites you want to block or allow when enabled. You can create up to 10 modes for different occasions, such as work, study, family dinners and personal time.
All blocking information is stored locally on your phone and Brick cannot see what you are blocking.
When you want to start or end a Brick session, simply tap the “Tap or hold Brick” button on the app’s home screen, then physically tap your phone on Brick. You can also hold the button for 5 seconds to “brick” your phone, but you will need the physical brick to “unbrick” it.
You can even create a schedule for activating your modes. It will start at a specific time on selected days and end at a set time or when you tap the brick with your device.
The Brick app home screen where you can press or hold this button to “brick” your device.
Anna Gragert/CNETCustomizable settings
In the app, you can view your Brick activity and adjust settings, including access to five “emergency unlocks” that let you unlock your phone in an emergency without using the physical Brick. And yes, you only get five, so use them wisely.
In the settings, you can enable the following when your skill is active:
- Strict mode: Prevents you from ending a session by deleting the application
- Block app installations: Prevents installation of applications
- Block in-app purchases: Limit in-app purchases
- Block adult content: Limits adult content on apps and websites
- Live activities: Shows an active Brick session timer at the top of your phone screen
- Notifications: Allow notifications for coaching support, recordings, and updates to your account or app
In addition to being magnetic for refrigerators, lockers and more, the Brick has a non-slip silicone bottom that keeps it in place on any surface.
There are various customizations you can make to your Brick sessions to prevent doomscrolling.
Anna Gragert/CNETMy experience, brick by brick
After setting up the Brick app, I placed the physical square on my refrigerator. My thought process was that I tended to scroll on my couch and my refrigerator was far enough away that I had to think twice before getting up to walk across my living room and kitchen to mine the brick.
I created a mode called “Mindful Mode,” which I programmed to block all the social media apps and websites I tend to use: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Unlike screen time limits that only work on your phone, I like that Brick requires an extra step, allowing you to step away from your phone’s influence and take a moment to ask yourself: Do I really want to spend more time on my phone right now?
When you have the space to think about all the other activities available to you in your free time, staring at a screen suddenly doesn’t seem so appealing. Personally, I prefer spending time with loved ones, reading on my balcony, bird watching in a local park, or going for a walk. From FOMO to NO-MO.
What it looks like when you try to access one of your bricked apps.
Anna Gragert/CNETMy total time on Brick
Currently, my longest Brick session was 6 hours and 45 minutes. In total, I spent 35 hours with my phone bricked. It feels really good.
Numbers aside, I truly believe Brick has helped me spend less time on my phone. Social networks are designed to be addictiveso having a physical barrier like Brick helps break the cycle and remind you that there are more important things in life than your devices.
A weekly recap email I received from Brick.
Anna Gragert/CNETIs the brick worth $60?
The brick costs $59, but that doesn’t include shipping, which varies by location. However, it is HSA/FSA eligible with a 30-day money back guarantee.
For $12, Brick also sells a stand with adhesive backing so you can attach it to any surface. A magnetic interior allows the brick to snap into place. I wouldn’t recommend paying the extra cost unless you plan to stick the brick to the wall and don’t want to use command strip.
Similar devices include the $39 Bloom Card and the $49 Blok Card, but these are not magnetic and instead fit in your wallet or pocket. There’s also the Unpluq Tag for $27, but that requires a premium subscription starting at $35 for six months.
For those who are particularly frugal, you can buy your own NFC tags ($13 for a pack of 50) or print a QR code. Then use the free and open source Foqos app to block apps and websites.
That said, while I wish Brick was more affordable, I love it and think it’s worth it compared to a wallet-sized card or tag that requires a subscription. I love having it magnetized to my fridge and appreciate all the different customization options available in the app.
The Brick can easily fit in your palm, but has the power to change the way you use your phone.
Anna Gragert/CNETMy final thoughts
I found the Brick be thoughtfully designed, and it’s a helpful reminder that if you want to get away from your phone, sometimes you need to physically get away from it to clear your head. This leaves room for many possibilities for how you can use your free time.
While I still enjoy using Brick, I find that I’m even starting to spend less time doomscrolling without him. It’s like all I need is a gray square magnet to break the shielding spell I’m under. Who would have guessed it? Certainly not me, especially when I was more focused on the images and videos that kept appearing before my eyes.
