The Brick Phone App: How Does It Work and Is It Worth It?

Published Nov 29, 2024

The Brick phone app is an iPhone tool that allows you to block distracting apps using a physical device. There are many distraction-blocking apps on the market, but Brick is the first company to introduce a physical component into the equation.

In this post, you'll learn what the Brick exactly is and how it works. We'll show you all its features and specs and share our experience using it for the past several months.

Let's dive right in.

What is the Brick?

The Brick is a phone app that blocks distracting apps and their notifications on your iPhone. Unlike other content-blocking apps out there, it requires a physical device (the Brick) to activate and deactivate.

This cool new way helps make your iPhone more of a tool and less of a distraction, just like other tricks we've talked about before to dumb down your iPhone.

The app is free but the physical device costs $49 ($44.10 with discount code WHATIFIDIDNT).

The Brick app allows you to block every single app on your phone except the Phone app.

But when you get your Brick, you might notice you cannot block certain system apps like Safari and Messages. To block these apps, head to your iPhone settings > Screen Time and remove them from the “Always Allow” list. You will then be able to add them to your Block list in the Brick app.

How does the brick app work?

The Brick's interface is intuitive, and there’s no learning curve when using it for the first time.

When you receive the Brick

1. Download the app

2. Link your phone with the Brick by tapping the device for the first time

3. Allow Screen time when prompted

4. Set your “Allow” and “Block” lists. You can create a single list or create several for different times of your day (eg. ‘work’, ‘focus’, ‘for kids’, etc.).

To Brick your phone

1. Open the Brick app

2. Choose what apps you want to block or allow when Bricked

3. Tap the “Brick” button in the app

4. Scan the physical Brick device

All apps you preselected are now locked. If you try to open them, a Brick screen opens saying “This is a Distraction: Your phone is currently Bricked. To access this app, tap your Brick.”

Note: Locking your phone without the physical device

There is a hidden feature that lets you Brick your phone even if you don’t have your Brick handy. In the app, hold the Brick button for 5 seconds. A prompt will appear, asking you whether you want to switch to Brick mode. Careful though, you will still need the device to Unbrick.

Bricked apps still show on the desktop but in muted colors. An hour glass appears next to the app name.

To Unbrick your phone

1. Open the Brick app

2. Tap the “Brick” button in the app

3. Scan the device

Your phone is now unlocked and you have access to all apps.

Features

Emergency Unbricks

If you lose your Brick, you can use an “Emergency Unbrick”. You get five emergency unbricks per device.

To do an emergency unbrick, you don’t need the physical device.

1. Open the Brick app

2. Tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner of the screen

3. Select “Use An Emergency Unbrick”

4. An alert will open up. Confirm your choice to unbrick your phone.

To unlock Bricked apps without the device, you can also delete the app entirely. This will cost you one emergency unbrick and will delete your user profiles (allow and block lists) and usage statistics. You will have to set everything from scratch.

What happens once you run out of Emergency Unbricks?

TJ, the founder of Brick, wrote in a forum:

"We’re currently looking into ways to provide options for regenerating emergency unbricks (things like in-app purchases and/or automatic regeneration after periods of time).

In the meantime, you can reach out to tj@getbrick.app if you’re truly in a pinch and need to regenerate."

Strict Mode

If you don’t like the idea of being able to delete the app to bypass its function, you can enable Strict Mode in the app’s navigation menu.

Strict Mode makes it impossible to delete the Brick app from your phone. So if your phone is bricked and you run out of Emergency Unbricks, the only way back into blocked apps is by scanning the actual device.

Use with caution.

Pros and Cons

✅ You can use one Brick for many phones. This is great for families. You and your partner can use the same Brick to lock and unlock your own phones. Each phone can have its own list of blocked apps.

✅ The physical device makes it hard to cheat compared to other apps. Apps like Screen Time aren’t effective because they are too easy to bypass. With Brick, you have to scan a physical object. This makes it much harder to ignore than just swiping away a message on your phone.

✅ The Brick only gives you five emergency unlocks. This makes you think twice before using them. Even if you delete the app and put it back on your phone, you lose one unlock. Looking at the app’s feature request board, the Brick team is considering giving users additional unlocks for a fee.

✅ The Brick is magnetic. You can put it on your fridge or a metal board. This means you're less likely to lose it than if it was just sitting on a table. You can put it somewhere you'll see it, like by your front door or above your desk. This way, you won't forget to scan it.

❌ There is a backdoor setting that lets you unlock Bricked apps. With a little digging, you’ll learn that you can deactivate the Brick app without the physical device in your iPhone’s Screen Time settings. If you don’t trust yourself knowing this, there is a hack you can use to override this setting.

❌ No way to schedule Brick times. There is currently no way to automatically turn on Brick mode. With time, I can see people getting lazy with scanning the device and defaulting back to their old mindless digital habits.

Bottom Line: Who’s the Brick For?

Parents

You can use the Brick to stop your kids from using apps like TikTok or YouTube when they're at school. Just have them put their phone in the Brick before they leave home. Use Strict Mode so they can't delete the app or unlock their phone easily.

Creative people

The Brick helps creative people like writers or artists who need to focus on their work without getting distracted by their phones. They can set up the Brick to block social media, games, or other apps that aren't for work during their creative time. Putting the phone in the Brick can become a way to start focusing on work.

Students

The Brick can really help students who use their phones too much in class or when studying. You can use the Brick to block apps that aren't for learning. This helps you focus better and learn more.

People who want to use their phones less

For people who want to find a balance between using their phone and taking breaks from it, the Brick can help. They can use the Brick as a promise to themselves in the morning to unplug and enjoy the moment more.

FAQ

What happens if you delete the brick app?

If you delete the Brick app, you will unbrick your phone. This means you can use all your apps again. But be careful! Deleting the app will also erase all your user modes and usage history.

Is it possible to unbrick a phone without the brick?

Yes, you can unbrick your phone without the physical Brick device in two ways. First, you can use an emergency unbrick. You get five of these in the app, and they quickly unblock all your apps. Second, you can delete the app. This will unbrick your phone, but you'll lose your user modes and usage history.

What happens if I lose my Brick?

If you lose your physical Brick device, you have a few options. You can use an emergency unbrick - you have five of these in the app, and they unblock all your apps. Another option is to delete the app, which will unbrick your phone but erase your settings and history. If you need more help, you can email the Brick team at hello@getbrick.app.

~ Ben
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