7 min readAs a House Beautiful shopping editor for nearly four years, I am very up-to-date on pretty much every new home and home-adjacent product launch, and given the sheer number of launches on a seemingly daily basis, the product burnout is definitely real. If I am bringing a new item into my home to test, it has to be truly life-changing. I spend a lot of time on my phone, so when I had the opportunity to test Brick, a one-square-inch piece of plastic that connects to your phone and basically shuts off everything that makes it addictive, I was excited to see if it would improve my life.
I am not particularly addicted to my phone, but I am one of those people who is deeply affected (for the worse) after spending time on social media. I don’t need to see all of the people younger than I am on beach vacations, the very discouraging news headlines, and more that just make me kind of want to get rid of my phone altogether. I wanted to use the Brick to limit my time spent on social media apps, specifically Instagram.
Ahead, I’ll get into what I like and didn’t like about the Brick. I’ll just say this for now: Brick lets me enjoy my phone for communication purposes without the negative effects when I feel like I can’t handle them.
Quick Verdict: Brick
Rating: 4.5/5
Best for: Anyone who either spends too much time on their phone and feels like that time could be spent in a deeper way that furthers their connections to non-screen interactions, or for people who doomscroll and don’t feel good about what they see online.
Not ideal for: People who aren’t chronologically online already.
Price at review: $59
Bottom line: Personally, I love my Brick. It has truly transformed my nighttime routine so that I am spending more time reading, chatting with my fiancé, or going to bed early. I have figured out how to use it in a way that really makes my life better.
What Is Brick?
Brick’s slogan, “Take back control of your screen time,” accurately reflects the brand’s mission. Consider it both the lock and the key to being present in physical moments. Basically, once you install the app, you can select as many or as few apps to which you want to temporarily lose access. Maybe you want to be able to focus more at work. Perhaps you want to be more present when you’re with your young children, partner, or friends.
So you select your apps, tap the Brick to your phone, and the apps lock up. When you’re ready to use the apps again, simply tap the Brick to your phone once more. It’s that simple.
How Does Brick Work?
It pairs with an app on your phone, and, to be completely transparent, the app isn't as user-friendly as I’d like. The first time I tried to set it up, I accidentally locked every app on my phone. Luckily, I had the Brick on my person and could immediately undo it. There are four tabs in the app: the homepage, which lets you Brick and un-Brick immediately; the schedule, which is completely customizable; the activity screen, which shows your Brick use over the course of your life since downloading the app; and the settings page.
I have had Brick for about a month, and have used only a few of the options. For instance, I have not set a Brick schedule or monitored my activity very closely. I use it a little more willy-nilly. When I feel like I need a little break, I’ll Brick my phone for a few hours, and when I’m curious to see what’s going on out there, I’ll un-Brick.
What Happens If You Lose Your Brick?
This was the first question I looked up before installing the app because I have been known to lose things. Brick gives you five opportunities to un-Brick your phone without the physical Brick. If you use all five, I’m not entirely sure what happens, as I proudly have not yet had to use this feature, but I’m relieved to know it’s there.
I actually always keep my Brick in the same place to avoid losing it. (It’s sitting in the trinket dish on my nightstand alongside my watch, two healing crystals, and the ceramic Christmas ornament my oldest friend made me.)
Does It Actually Work?
Short answer: Yes. There’s no workaround with Brick. If your phone is Bricked, you truly cannot get into the apps you locked without un-Bricking it. I’d also say it works on a deeper level. I have my Instagram Bricked more often than not because I could doomscroll for days on end without looking up, and when I’m done, I feel pretty disgusted with both myself and what I see online.
I don’t Brick my phone to focus better at work because I don’t really get distracted by it so much that I don’t actually do my job. I actually Brick my phone when I’m home a few hours before bed so that I don’t accidentally stay up way past my bedtime.
Since following this routine, I have noticed that I’m sleeping better. Probably because I’m not staring at a blue light right before going to sleep, but who knows? That has been the biggest life improvement since downloading the Brick app and using the physical Brick daily. I also just feel better about the way I spend my time, knowing I’m not just sitting on my sofa with glazed-over eyes scrolling through Instagram.
As I said, you can Brick any app on your phone, so if you are a chronic texter, you can Brick your message-receiving apps. If you are an impulse shopper and want to curb your spending, Brick your shopping apps. There are limitless ways to improve your life with Brick.
Will Your Screen Time Decline?
I’m going to be totally honest: Absurd and embarrassing screen time is not the reason I wanted Brick. I wanted it because I feel like my Instagram feed does nothing good for my mood. More often than not, I close out of it feeling more anxious and frustrated than I did pre-scroll.
Deleting Instagram altogether isn’t really an option because I do want to know what’s going on in the lives of my B-list acquaintances, whom I don’t keep up with regularly. Instagram is also rife with recipes I want to try, outfits I’d like to copy, and more. Sadly, my page is mostly things I don’t want to see, like the news. I prefer podcasts from news outlets to discover what’s going on in the world, but I digress.
My overall screen time didn’t decline significantly because I still use my phone for podcasts with video, online shopping, and Pinterest. My screen time declined by seven percent on average since Bricking on a regular basis.
What Our Other Editors Say About Brick
I’m not the only one turning to Brick to reclaim more hours in the day, sans apps and screen time. So many of my coworkers also own a Brick and have positive things to say about it.
“I noticed a big difference in my attention span; my brain is finally going back to enjoying and appreciating long-form content, and I don’t get easily distracted or unamused like I was with the "TikTok-ification" of media (instant/short form videos). It's also slowly made me less reliant on my phone, I take pictures for the sake of memories and not aesthetics or what to post.” — Anvita Reddy, Commerce Editor
“I didn't realize how much I needed the Brick until I misplaced mine. I immediately bought two more: one for home and one for the office. I set two schedules that turn on automatically. One keeps me from getting distracted by notifications at work, and the other stops me doomscrolling before bed. It feels just as essential as my alarm clock at this point,” —Janae McKenzie, Associate Shopping Editor
“With a job that keeps me on my phone and seeking inspiration pretty consistently, I try to keep my weekends tech-free, especially around my kids. But with so much time spent online, that can sometimes be tough. My Brick has helped me reset my habits effectively and easily, and it really taps into my lazy tendencies, because there’s no way I’m going downstairs to unlock my phone so I can doom-scroll in bed. I’m a better (and healthier) person with it.”—Alyssa Longbucco, Contributing Senior Editor
Pros and Cons of Brick
Pros
- Minimizes screen time in general
- Improves app-induced anxiety
- Makes you more present in the moment
- Includes five opportunities to emergency un-Brick without the Brick itself
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Lots of built-in data and tracking
Cons
- Programming the Brick app comes with a learning curve
- Easy to lose the Brick if you don't keep it on you or in the same place all the time
Verdict: Is the Brick Worth Buying?
The Brick is worth getting if you fall into one of two categories: You spend too much time on your phone and don’t feel like you are present in moments when you perhaps should be, or you are someone who is emotionally impacted negatively by what you see on certain apps during the brief time you check them (or both!).
I fall into the latter category, but I have to imagine that Brick is hugely helpful for anyone who wants a big break from their screens and doesn’t find themselves able to resist the urge. At this point, tapping my iPhone to life in moments of solitude (like when I wait on the subway platform, stand over the stove while simmering a sauce, or even watching television) just feels automatic, so Brick has helped me reprogram that urge. When my phone is Bricked, it kind of just lives in my purse so that I can be present in whatever I am doing.
