Brick Alternatives: Block Apps Without a $59 Gadget (2026)

Brick went viral for a reason. It's a simple, physical answer to a digital problem: a little magnetic block you stick on the fridge. Tap your phone on it and your distracting apps lock. To unlock them, you have to walk back and tap it again. No battery, no subscription, no willpower debate.

It's a genuinely good idea. It's also not for everyone — and it isn't the only way to get the same effect. Here's what Brick does well, where the physical approach gets awkward, and the alternatives worth considering.

What does Brick get right?

• Real friction. Walking to another room is a far bigger barrier than tapping a button. For many people, that's the point where the urge dies.
• One-time price. About $59 for the device, free app, no subscription.
• Zero maintenance. It's a passive NFC tag — no charging, nothing to break.
• Clear mental line. "Bricked" is a state you can feel. Many users treat it as a ritual: home, brick, dinner.
• iOS and Android.

Where does a physical blocker fall short?

1. It only works where the Brick is. At home it's great. On the train, at a friend's, on holiday, it's either out of reach (you can't unlock) or in your pocket (it's no longer a barrier).
2. All-or-nothing sessions. While you're bricked, the blocked apps are fully off. You can't do a 30-second check without undoing the whole thing.
3. There's an emergency exit. Sensible for safety, but for a determined scroller it's a known way out.
4. It's a gadget. Another thing to buy, ship and not lose.

If your scrolling happens mainly at home in the evening, Brick may be perfect. If it happens everywhere, you need something that travels with the phone.

What are the best Brick alternatives in 2026?

DIY NFC tag + Refocus or Jomo (cheap)

Both Refocus and Jomo can use NFC tags as an unlock or start trigger. Stick a cheap NFC sticker in another room and you've built a software version of Brick for the price of the app. Same strengths, same location limits.

Unpluq (hardware)

Another physical approach — a small tag-based device — with a similar "go get the key" logic. Worth comparing if you're set on hardware.

Opal (limited free tier; ~$99.99/yr)

Software-only, iPhone-first, with schedules and a strict "Deep Focus" mode that's hard to break early. More flexible than a puck, but a pricier ongoing subscription. See Opal alternatives.

Freedom (subscription; lifetime)

If your distraction is on your laptop too, Freedom's Locked Mode sessions cover phone and computer together. See Freedom alternatives.

Apple Screen Time (free)

Built in and free, but with a one-tap "Ignore Limit" — the exact opposite of Brick's philosophy. See Why Apple Screen Time doesn't work.

Detox (iPhone & iPad; paid, free trial)

Detox gets you Brick-level holding power without the puck, and without losing quick checks.

• Consecutive-usage limit: reply to a message, check a map, look something up — fine. Once you've been scrolling an app continuously past your limit, Detox hard-blocks it for a cooldown. That works wherever you are.
• Schedules for the Brick-style "evenings are phone-free" ritual, and focus sessions for deep work.
• Strict mode: you can't edit or delete a block while it's active, and Detox can stop you deleting the app itself during a strict block. One emergency unblock per 24 hours.

It's paid, with a free trial. Unlike Brick, it's iPhone and iPad only.

Brick vs the alternatives

Which should you choose?

• You want a physical ritual at home: Brick, or a DIY NFC tag.
• You need your laptop blocked too: Freedom.
• You want protection anywhere, without giving up quick checks: Detox.

A Brick is a wall you build at your front door. Many people need one that goes where the phone goes.