Left a prior review that didn’t save about how disappointed I was that this isn’t a standalone app that turns phone into a brick when you need it but after finding the explanatory video in the app get that making you move is part of the trigger for the new habit. Impulsively purchased the brick for $49 for a single item just now. I already have a ton of apps and devices for regulating my smartphone use so I hope the cost of this one will be worth it. Brick has a “strict mode” that limits the number of times you deactivate it which the other apps don’t have. Update: Received Brick last night and between last night and this morning couldn’t figure out how to get it to block Safari despite following the screenshot instructions under FAQs. Was really hoping for an easy setup… Would appreciate any help! Thanks!
Developer Response
Thanks for the update, and I'm sorry to hear about the frustrations! First, if you have the "blocking chosen apps" option selected, you can block Safari normally (without having to set up the Shortcut). If you'd still like to set it up, though, please reach out to tj@getbrick.app so we can figure this out (as the Shortcuts UI is frequently changing)!No subscription after buying device! Completely customizable allowances of apps Even when the Internet is blocked,All of the Internet dependent applications still work if you have allowed them to be accessed This is great because I love listening to my podcasts and my Duolingo and using my maps to figure out where I need to get to in town. And I can do all this plus a lot more without being able to access the Internet or mailOr whatever else I wanna block The absolute best part of this is that when the brick is on it cannot be deleted if you choose to have that option It cannot be turned off in settings either And lastly you can’t undo itWithout tapping the brick which hopefully you didn’t bring with you so that you can enjoy your day distraction free This thing is awesome and the developers deserve great appreciation!
I never write reviews but I really want this and the developers to thrive and succeed, because this thing works. I know this sounds silly, but the other day I had my phone “bricked” and went out. I noticed the clouds for the first time in forever! It was a beautiful day, and during my commute I’d normally have my head down and my eyes glued to my phone. But I didn’t have anything to look at so I was actually present during my commute and was able to appreciate the world around me. This is what I miss, the daydreaming. This is why I got this for my phone. So I can remember to just BE again. Having the brick at home makes it impossible to unlock, which is the kind of barrier I need.
I hope this helps convince someone that this might help with their phone addiction. I wish these guys a ton of success and thank them for their novel idea!
I have been FAR MORE engaged and productive since buying the brick. I truly consider it the greatest $50 i have ever spent. I am spending far more times doing things i truly enjoy doing that enhance my life. Whether that is my work, video games, reading, engaging in quality TV o r movies, you name it. The tendency to pick up the phone and scroll during a cut scene or slower portion of the book, or show has been reduced to zero. Full engagement in whatever is right in front of me. It is absolutely amazing, cannot recommend enough to anyone who suffers from the tendency to pick up and scroll at the first opportunity
My goal for the last 6+ months has been to cut down on screen time. I tried a different app that was similar to Brick, but more expensive and an annual subscription. Since it lacked the “physical” feature that Brick has, I found myself forgetting about it or just anticipating the timer running out so I could get on apps again.
Brick was the solution. I’ll often set it on my phone away from the brick (hold the brick icon for 10-15 sec) and I am definitely off of my phone longer, because I don’t want to go out of my way to “unbrick” myself where I placed it. Something about the act of getting up from where I am/what I’m doing is the perfect barrier to really make me think, “am I ready to mindlessly scroll.”
I hope it stays as the flat fee for the v1 brick users since everything is subscription based now and it all adds up so fast. But I really would recommend this product to people. It’s a simple app, no frills/distracters (a plus in my opinion), and works for me.
I’ve struggled with social media addiction for sometime now, getting caught in an endless scroll of mindless reels and getting embroiled in useless internet arguments for hours on end. Wasting tons of my time and unfortunately I can’t just delete social because it’s part of my job. Since getting my Brick and using it daily I’ve managed to reclaim my focus in a way that regular app blocking apps could never. I’d always find a way to close them or game them to get back to social media. Now when I start my day I brick my phone, hide the brick in a shoebox deep in my closet then get to working. This practice has generated enough friction between me and my social media addiction to keep me away. I can’t recommend this product enough. Seriously. Go get Bricked up. You won’t regret it.
I love the concept of this device and app, and I found the price fair to very good (that is, we bought a 3-pack, which was priced very well compared to the single, which was priced reasonably). I had heard of complaints the app was glitchy, but hadn't experienced that myself in the several weeks I've owned it…until today.
I think this happened because I rebooted my phone while bricked, but I can't be sure: my Lock Screen timer widget is still going, but I am un-bricked. If I brick the phone again, it locks everything, because it has deleted my custom profile and is using the default. This isn't just disappointing: it's so inconvenient I don't have any immediate plans to rebuild the profile. Even if I do, the timer is still swapped to be the opposite of when I am actually bricked. What's more, I'm discouraged to think that if I remake the profile, it will just vanish again sooner or later.
Seems easier just to uninstall it and check back months or a year from now to see if it ever got better. That's really disappointing and I wouldn't be the first person to give up, based on what I've seen online.
When the product works, I'd great. But when it doesn't…sheesh.
Developer Response
Thanks for bringing this to our attention! We've been looking into this, and it does seem like there's currently an issue when the phone is restarted while bricked. We're hard at work on a patch and hope to have it released very soon!I thought I’d have to leave my brick in the car to deter myself. Apparently I’m so lazy that just leaving it on my fridge is enough! If I’m in the next room and instinctively want to tap on Facebook, I realize I can’t, and my attention turns to something else around me. Playing one vice off against another seems to help. lol. I definitely recommend this tool which turns your iPhone back into a productive tool rather than a platform for apps designed to hijack your attention for as long as possible. You can be bricked all day and then unbrick yourself in the evening where you can indulge your desire to check social media…it’s nice to have brackets around it rather than having it regularly invade my attention throughout the day.
I have tried many apps to block distractions over the years. I consider it crucial to my mental health and for my focus on my personal goals. Brick is amazing in ways that regular apps aren’t. Since it is a physical brick if you leave it somewhere you can’t change the app settings or phone setting to unlock apps for you- you have to return to where the brick is. That is what makes brick different and successful where other apps fail. I always leave my brick at work- I am unmotivated to return to work after hours. Leaving your brick at home when eating out with friends, on dates, etc forces you to focus on what is happening in front of you, not on your phone.
Specifically under the other category. The entire app freezes every time I click the button. I accidentally have too many apps selected so it won’t even let me use it.
Honestly I’m feeling like this was a waste of money. It wasn’t super clear on the website how it works. But it’s essentially like every other productivity so like you can delete it off your phone and get around it if you like. Plus you’re only allowed to have 50 apps that are usable while it’s bricked. This might work for some people but I have a lot of individual apps for medical things and financial things that I want access to all the time and so it’s honestly limiting in a way that I probably won’t use it.
I’m not one to usually leave negative feedback but as expensive as this is, I figured others should know.
Developer Response
I'm sorry to hear about your frustrations!
First, you can enable Strict Mode to make the app undeleteable, so there's no easy workaround. Second, we'd certainly like to help you figure this out.
As for the 50 app limit, unfortunately we can't get rid of this (as it's imposed by Apple) - what you can do, though, is switch from "allowing chosen apps" to "blocking chosen apps". This way you can simply select the few apps you'd like to block and leave everything else.
Additionally, the app selection screen is controlled by Apple so we can't currently fix its bugs. The solution we use is to either 1) go one category at a time, closing out the picker in between to save progress, or 2) use the search bar to find specific apps. If you have any other thoughts or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to tj@getbrick.app!
Sunroseserenity
Pathsofglory
Ipora_12
Stevey Boh
___404____
bozmen123
TomFooligans
amjsjehkemn
CalevYaakov
iverae