Brick App Review: Is This Tiny Device a Game Changer for Writers?

In this Brick App review, we’ll share how the app helps you take control of your screen time by temporarily turning your smartphone into a distraction-free “brick.” I’ve been using it for weeks, and it’s changed the way I focus, work, and write.

I don’t have to convince you that screen time, specifically social media apps, is a total time-suck. If, however, you are unconvinced, allow me to present the receipts: 

• Phone scrolling and social media apps are estimated to cost the global economy $8.8 trillion annually
• The average U.S. adult checks their device 58 times a day (usually within 3 minutes of the previous check) accounting for 6 hours and 35 minutes of screen time
• 12% of the workday, or 65 hours per month, is lost to unproductive social media use

Speaking from personal experience, I’ve wasted many post-lunch hours scrolling through Instagram before begrudgingly returning to my keyboard to write, only to find all of my focus, attention, and even excitement were all zapped from my brain.

Don’t get me wrong, smartphones are amazing devices and have contributed to numerous improvements to our daily (and working) lives. But they are distractions. And social media nowadays is nothing short of militarized against our attention spans.

Even making the most of the iPhone’s built-in screen time control settings, it’s too simple to bypass to make any genuine progress. If only there were a way to physically brick your device so that it’s impossible to become distracted…

Fret not, dear reader, because there is a way. A physical brick device called, well, Brick.

With a simple tap, Brick unlocks a whole new world of productivity and focus.

In this Brick app review, I’ll cover exactly what is Brick, how it works, custom modes, emergency unbricks, as well as my personal experience with this game-changing device.

What is the Brick App?

Brick was founded in 2023 by two friends from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, TJ Driver and Zach Nasgowitz. The idea was simple: introduce a little friction to counter smartphone distractions. Something that’s not simple to bypass (like iPhone’s Apple Screen time limits), but not extreme (like opting for a flip phone instead).

Driver, in an interview with Fast Company, said:

Smartphones have important uses for work and daily life, such as pulling up my ticket when I’m taking the train to work, getting an Uber, looking up directions, paying someone, Googling something. It’s hard to give up all of it. I realized we needed a middle ground… We settled on Brick because you can leave it at home, which removes the temptation to unlock apps.

Brick is nothing more than a simple, 3D-printed square with a magnetic backing (so you can stick it on the fridge or some place conspicuous). And yet, it’s so much more than that. 

Instead of clicking on a text prompt on your phone to unlock an app (like on the iPhone), with Brick you have to get up and physically tap your phone to the physical Brick to unlock it. For example, when it’s close to bedtime for me, I have a schedule that automatically blocks most apps on my phone. If I want to check Instagram, for example, I have to get out of my comfy bed and walk all the way downstairs to my desk to unlock the app. 99 times out of 100 it’s not worth it, and I just put my phone away to read instead. 

Let’s dive into how this thing works.

How Does Brick Work?

Brick is intuitively easy to use. After receiving your device and downloading the Brick app on your phone, follow their on-screen prompts to set up your account.

You can then create “Modes” where you select a list of up to 50 blocked apps that are inaccessible while your phone is Bricked. You can also set schedules that automatically Brick according to which mode you choose.

Another nifty feature that adds an extra layer of difficulty: Strict Mode. Strict Mode prevents you from bypassing Brick, like deleting the app, or using your emergency unBricks (there are a few loopholes that we’ll talk about below).

Once everything is configured, you tap your phone (or hold down the button in the app) and voilá, you’re all Bricked up until you tap your phone on the Brick again to unlock it.

And don’t worry, if you misplace your Brick or are in a pinch, Brick allows 5 emergency Unbricks.

Long story short: unlike other screen time limits, with Brick you have to physically tap your phone to the Brick to access the apps. 

This extra level of friction is where the magic happens.

Key Features of the Brick App

I ordered my Brick in the fall of 2024 and have spent the past year testing it. When I first started using it, Brick was relatively new and had only a few features, but in recent months the team has launched a few key updates that have made a massive difference. Let’s dive into some of the key features Brick has to offer.

Hold to Brick

At first, the only way to Brick your selected apps was to physically tap your phone to the brick device (and then tap again to unBrick). The problem I found with this was that it added unnecessary friction to the Bricking process. In my mind, it should be easy to Brick and harder to unBrick. 

There were situations when I was distracted by my phone but wasn’t near my Brick device to brick it. 

Eventually, the team released an update where you could brick your phone directly in the app just by holding down a button for 3 seconds. Much simpler.

Schedules

While Brick had different Modes you could choose from or customize, it didn’t have an automatic schedule you could set to Brick your phone at certain times. 

This changed with the schedule feature. Now you can designate when your phone will Brick (and per what Mode). For example, I have my phone Brick at 9am to my “FOCUSED” mode, then again at 2pm (because I tend to unBrick my phone during lunch). Before bedtime at 9:30 pm, my phone switches to my “NIGHT” mode, which is super restrictive and blocks most of the apps on my phone. It helps me put my phone away for the evening and prevents me from doom-scrolling first thing when I wake up.

Modes & Customization

Modes are the core to making Brick work. They’re basically a set menu of certain apps that you want to block while your phone is bricked. You can customize your Modes by adding or removing apps. 

For example, during working hours, I tend to have my phone bricked to my “Focus” mode. I have only the most distracting apps blocked in this mode (Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, etc.). If I need to write, I unbrick my phone, change to the more extreme “Writing” mode which basically turns my phone into a coaster so that my train of thought isn’t interrupted.

Before bed, my phone automatically bricks to “Night” mode which I have designated in the scheduling feature (more on that above).

To create or edit Modes, simply click on “Mode” on the Brick app’s main screen. There, you can choose which apps to block (or keep unblocked).

Emergency Unbrick

Luckily I haven’t needed to use this feature, but if you’re ever stuck in a pickle, like literally stuck in a pickle and need to send a message in Instagram to get help, you can use one of your five emergency unbricks to unlock your phone and continue to use it.

Again, you only get five of these, so use them only in dire situations. This feature is essential because, obviously, there will be scenarios when you need to unbrick your device but aren’t near your Brick (or maybe you lost your Brick). However, limiting your account to only five prevents people from abusing this feature.

What happens after you use up your five emergency unbricks? Your phone explodes. Just kidding, you’ll have to purchase a new Brick and set up a new account.

Messages, Calls, and Notifications

Brick can block pretty much any app on your iPhone (except for the Phone app per Apple policy) and Andoid device (except for Phone and Launcher). This means that you can brick pesky messaging apps like Messenger or WhatsApp. Personally, I don’t mess with these since I have kids and need to be accessible at all times. Instead, I use Apple’s built-in settings to turn off notifications, or silence them at certain periods during the day. 

Now, just to be clear, bricking your messaging apps doesn’t mean that it blocks messages to your phone. It simply means you aren’t able to access them while your phone is bricked. 

How Much Does Brick Cost?

One Brick costs $59. Two Bricks costs $106.20 (10% discount).

That’s it. Shipping is free (unless you opt for 1-day delivery). Oh, and sales tax, depending on where you live.

There are no monthly subscription fees. Nor any hidden fees to upgrade the app. Just a onetime purchase, and you are good to go.

Oh, and Brick comes in three different colors: Grey, Charcoal, and White.

And if you decide Brick isn’t for you, they have a 100 day money back guarantee. You can try it, and if you don’t like it, simply send it back with their simple, no-hassle return process (which I haven’t tested myself because I’m keeping mine).

My Personal Experience With Brick

There are very few purchases I’ve made in my life that have actually been life-altering (if you’re curious what they are: a bidet and YNAB). When I ordered my Brick in the fall of 2024, I knew within a week that this little tool would find itself in the upper echelons of life-changing purchases.

Like most people nowadays, I’ve struggled with screen time, specifically with my phone. When my youngest started saying, “No phone, Daddy. Put away!” I knew things needed to change.

However, behavioral change is not easy. It’s even harder when modern phones have become dopamine drips. No wonder it feels impossible to stay focused and live life distraction-free.

When I saw an ad for Brick on Instagram (I’m aware of the irony, but at least they know where to find their user base!) I instantly saw its benefits. iPhone screen time settings are basically like wrapping your phone in tissue paper. They’re too easy to circumnavigate. But here was a physical impediment to using your phone. Almost like how corded phones (I still remember those) made it impossible to have private conversations with your parents around.

If I were to sum up my experience with Brick, it would be this: simple, yet effective.

Common frustrations with the Brick app

I don’t have many frustrations using Brick, but I do recall a story back when I first started using it, that I had left my house with my phone bricked to the default mode and I wasn’t able to access all my vital apps (like Apple Music, Maps, Blinkist etc.). It was frustrating, but soon after I changed all my modes so that they weren’t extreme and only blocked real distractions.

I could also mention the early frustrations of setting the different Modes when the app would crash. But those bugs seem to have been sorted out. I haven’t had any issues since they released an overhauled version of the app.

To really scrape the bottom of the barrel, my only “frustration” with Brick is the lack of reporting. There is a tab where you can see how much time your phone has spent Bricked. However, it offers very little insight. Especially since it doesn’t show which Modes were activated, nor can you compare it to actual screen time usage. Alas, maybe spending less time in the app is the point.

Quick reflection

Because I work from home in a very secluded profession (writing), social media is both a lifeline and deadweight. 

Yes, there are times Instagram fills me with rage. Yes, the Algorithm entraps me into scrolling non-stop for hours. But…

Social media helps me keep in touch with friends and family around the world. It helps me showcase my work and discover other people’s work. For all the negatives, there are a few positives, which is why I’ve never been able to pull the plug and delete social media for good. 

However, it’s a struggle when these social media companies are literally paying PhDs to figure out how to keep your attention glued to their app. That’s why I love using Brick. It gives me the ability to stay connected to the digital world, and yet free to experience the real world. 

How Brick Compares to Other Apps

I can’t believe I have to write this section just to appease the search algorithm gods. Brick is in a league of its own compared to other apps that claim to combat screen time.

For example, iOS’s Screen Time settings are like trying to hold back a hurricane with a tissue. Not only can it not get the job done, it leaves one wondering, “What’s the point?”

As I’ve mentioned again and again, the brilliance of Brick is that it exists in the real world. It is a physical impediment to combating your phone addiction. Whereas other apps like Freedom, Opal, or Screen Time are like that Willy Wonka meme. No. Stop. Don’t. Do they really put up a fight?

Sure, built-in screen time settings are free. But that’s without factoring the cost of lost productive time they fail to prevent. At $59 Brick is a steal.

Who Should Use Brick (and Who Shouldn’t)

Because this is a website geared toward writers, I highly recommend that writers who struggle with social media, screen time, or poor attention spans use Brick to stay productive and accomplish their writing goals. Heck, anyone who struggles with these things should use Brick to combat our technocratic overlords.

However, there are folks who unfortunately rely on cell phone use for their livelihoods or other important reasons (i.e. reporters in war-torn regions, as an extreme example). In that case, Brick might not be as helpful. Then again, maybe folks like Adam Schefter wouldn’t mind a minute to himself without his phone buzzing.

Conclusion: Is the Brick App Worth It?

Yes, in my humble opinion, the Brick app and device are worth it to modify your behavior to combat screen time addiction.

To quote Willy Wonka once more, “If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.”

Brick makes viewing paradise a little less distracting.