I have often said that I am a marketer’s dream. If something is heavily advertised to me, I buy it more often than not. So when I kept getting ads for the Brick while scrolling through social media, I got my hands on one.
After testing it out—and being shocked, even horrified by my own addiction to my phone and social media—I found the Brick to be effective in reducing screen time. The customizable modes mean you can customize it to suit your lifestyle, and even opt for tougher modes. It can be used on an unlimited number of devices and has a magnetic and non-slip design.
But be warned: it works by exploiting your reluctance to find the brick to unbrick your phone. If you don’t have the willpower to wait it out, this might not be for you. To find out more about the gadget, keep reading this full Brick review.
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Brick review: specifications
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Price | $59 / £44 |
Dimensions | 2×2 inches |
Weight | 3.17 ounces |
Compatibility | Android 12.0 or later, iOS 17.0 or later |
App | Yes |
Materials | Anti-slip silicone base |
Brick review: price & availability
The Brick is available for $59/£44 direct from the Brick online store. You can also get two bricks as part of a deal for $106 / £80. You can also buy a mount for the brick which costs $15/£14, but I don’t think you need this as the brick is magnetic and stable with a silicone base.
There are several other devices like Brick on the market. These include Bloom, which is a card-shaped device for your wallet, costing $39; however, I like that the brick is a larger object because a card is easily lost or misplaced. You can also create your own Near Field Communication (NFC) tags or even use QR codes and pair them with open source apps like Foqos.
There are also apps that you can download from the App Store that block access to the app, like Opal, but being able to disable them in the app doesn’t make that much of a barrier; this is more to reward mental resilience.
Brick review: Design
Brick is exactly that. A small gray square. It’s nothing special, and I don’t think it’s going to win any design awards, despite its minimalist flair. However, it is all it needs to be.
It measures 2 x 2 inches, so it’s very small and doesn’t get in the way of where it is. At 3.17 ounces, it has some weight, but nothing crazy.
The base of the brick is a silicone material that keeps it secure on a table so it doesn’t slide, and it’s also magnetic for easy storage. I opted to keep mine in the fridge in the kitchen, which works well for me as it blends in with the rest of my magnets.
Brick Rating: How Does It Work?
The brick is not battery operated, but contains a Near Field Communication (NFC) chip. This chip is embedded in the device, so when you tap your phone on it, a signal is exchanged that acts as a cue for your phone to block the apps you’ve selected in the Brick Companion app. It uses the same action and communication area as a contactless payment you make in a store.
You may have encountered NFC chips like this in other places, such as viewing a menu in a restaurant or bar, tapping your card on the subway, or sharing data when you hold two phones together.
This is different from a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, which works over long distances. NFC requires much closer proximity, which is what the Brick relies on. You have to physically stand up, walk to the brick and hold your phone to it. This is what technology relies on – your unwillingness to get up and out of your chair. Well played, Brick.
If your phone is bricked, you will need to go back to where you left the brick to unbrick it. Of course, the premise doesn’t work if you keep the brick close to you at all times, so I recommend leaving it in another room, or at home when you go out. This is where Bloom’s card design falls short, as it is more likely to be with you at all times in your wallet.
If for some reason you can’t access the brick and you find you desperately need access to an app you’ve chosen to block, you’ll get five emergency unbricks that will automatically unlock all the apps.
A single brick can be used for an unlimited number of devices; You just need the app downloaded to the device. Therefore, I can see it also being a useful addition to classrooms and homes where you need some social media boundaries.
Brick Rating: App
The Brick app is free to download and use and is compatible with an unlimited number of Bricks. It’s interesting to me because if you’re in an active brick session, you can’t use it except to look at your brick time, which is useful for me because I’m messing with the settings.
When you set up the app, you create modes based on what you use Brick for. I created one for focus and one for blocking apps from scrolling. You can add all the apps on your phone to this list. You can also block websites, so I chose to block the web versions of the apps I use frequently, like Instagram.
There are also a few different modes you can toggle in settings. I recommend turning off strict mode because it prevents you from terminating an active brick session by deleting the app. You can also allow Brick to block app installs, in-app purchases, and mature content. This means that it can also be used as a parental control tool for the whole device, which is easier than setting different permissions in different apps.
Brick review: experience
I wanted to test the Brick because it was constantly advertised to me on my social media feeds. And I, cocky as always, thought it could not be other than the screen time limiter built into my phone because I certainly have more will than that. Oh, how wrong I was.
During my first brick session, I can’t tell you how many times I reached for my phone only to be hit with a screen that read “Instagram is blocked”. Did I seriously just type on Instagram? I am shocked by the realization that I am dependent on my phone. A dependency. I found myself using it as a kind of crutch to fill empty space. Waiting for coffee? Scrolling. Waiting for my food to cook? Scrolling. Time off work? Scrolling. You get the picture.
Social media can be fulfilling in many ways, but it wasn’t until my phone was bricked that I realized the specific moments I reach for it. And I found it disturbing. Look, I’m not exactly proud of what this particular review showed me. But I know it’s not just me with an addiction to this sheet of plastic and aluminum in my hand.
Once I got past the initial itching of the withdrawals – because yes, that’s what it was – I gained a lot of my time back. On a day without a brick, I spent 6 hours and 48 minutes just looking at social media, a number that shocked me to my core. But on a day with Brick, my time on social media was just 1 hour and 15 minutes.
But the brick is not what keeps me from using these applications. It is my own will. I could just tap my phone on the brick and scroll on my phone, but that almost feels like admitting defeat. I realized that it feeds into my competitive side. I am in competition with myself to have my phone bricked longer than the day before.
While I was in competition with myself, Brick also relies on another somewhat ugly trait of us humans to work his magic. That is our laziness. If my phone is bricked, and I left it downstairs when I went to bed, there’s no way I’m going back just to unbrick my phone. That’s why I break the cycle of scrolling before I sleep and scroll first when I wake up. The concept is genius because it uses us against ourselves.
I also noticed that my phone pickups are reduced. Getting notifications from these apps is what often makes us use our phones. Then once you’re on the app, it’s a subconscious decision to start scrolling because it’s almost second nature.
I found Brick incredibly helpful in helping with a problem I didn’t know I had. I have found more time in the evenings for reading, organization and general self-care, for which I am so grateful. I even go to bed earlier.
Brick review: Verdict
My time with the Brick has shown me that this is the kind of gadget every household needs. Phone usage is such an issue these days that app blocking is almost essential, and I think Brick is the best way to do it.
It has effectively reduced my screen time on social media, and I love how you can customize the modes to suit you during different tasks. Some of the modes are strict, but I think that’s necessary. The minimal design is also non-slip and magnetic for ease of use, and it can be used on an unlimited number of devices.
The only thing is that, like most things, it depends heavily on your personal will or laziness. But if I can do it, I think you can too. So, let’s look up from our phones and touch grass, people!