Brick vs NoMo Screen Time
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Brick
This tool helps you build a more intentional relationship with your phone by introducing physical barriers to reduce distractions. It allows you to customize app blocking and create schedules for different parts of your day, turning your smartphone back into a tool for what matters most.
- Physical device to block apps
- Customizable app and website blocking
- Personalized modes for different activities
- Automatic blocking with Brick Night
- Focus timer and usage history
- Emergency Unbricks
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Brick is the world's first digital wellness tool designed to create a more intentional relationship with your technology. In a world designed for constant distraction, Brick introduces a simple but powerful idea: friction. By adding physical barriers, Brick creates a deliberate pause between impulse and action — turning smartphones back into tools for what matters. With the Brick app, you can design your personalized system to block distractions using both your Brick and Brick Night — allowing you to do more of what matters. Brick is a physical device that helps you block distracting apps on your phone. Tap to start a Brick session, then place Brick somewhere out of reach and go live your life. When you’re ready to be connected again, simply tap to Unbrick. Unlike screen-time settings and blocker apps that switch off in a second, Brick isn't on the phone you're trying to put down. It's a physical barrier you can't swipe out of. Brick Night automatically blocks the apps you choose when you enter your bedroom. Unlike app blockers, Brick Night uses Bluetooth to know when you're in your bedroom, creating a simple boundary around your sleep — so you don't have to remember to activate it every night. The result: fewer late-night distractions, fewer mornings lost to your feed, and a bedroom that feels like the sanctuary you intended it to be. FEATURES - Select the apps you’d like to block, and keep what you need. Temporarily remove distracting apps and their notifications from your phone, leaving only what you choose - Block any app (except the dialer, per Apple policy) and select Safari websites - Create custom modes for different parts of your day: Work, Family, Sleep, Gym, Study, Focus, and more - Create custom schedules to automatically block apps during specific moments of your day - A built-in focus timer tracks how long you stay undistracted - 5 Emergency Unbricks included for unexpected situations - Usage history tracks your progress so you can see how your habits improve over time DESIGNED FOR EVERY PART OF YOUR LIFE Parents use Brick to create device-free family time and build healthier habits around technology. Students rely on it during study sessions and exam prep when focus matters most. Professionals use it for deep work without the constant pull of notifications. Athletes keep it in the locker room to stay locked in before competition. Brick is also a thoughtful gift for anyone trying to build a healthier relationship with their screen habits, reduce anxiety from constant notifications, or simply spend less time scrolling and more time living. WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING Featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Economist, Fortune, Vogue, TechCrunch, CNET, Fast Company, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and The New Yorker. With over 55,000 five-star reviews, people describe Brick as the thing that finally helped them break free from screen addiction. Join a growing community choosing to take back their time and reclaim hours lost to technology. HSA & FSA ELIGIBLE 30% average savings on Brick and Brick Night with HSA/FSA through our partnership with Truemed. Use pre-tax dollars to invest in your digital wellness and mental health. HSA/FSA funds accepted for qualified Truemed customers. HSA/FSA tax savings vary. Learn more at truemed.com/disclosures. WHAT'S INCLUDED Your purchase includes the physical Brick or Brick Night and full access to the companion app.
NoMo Screen Time
This app helps you reclaim your time and focus by playfully interrupting distracting app usage. Set daily or hourly goals and receive fun visual feedback as your screen time decreases. It encourages intention over strict restriction.
- App blocking and timers
- Daily and hourly goals
- Fun visual feedback
- Usage-based mood changes
- Focus on intention
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A pause before the scroll. You open an app for a minute. Somehow, twenty disappear. NoMo helps you make that choice deliberately. CHOOSE YOUR APPS Use Apple's Screen Time controls to block the apps you want to use less. DECIDE HOW LONG YOU NEED Choose 1, 5, 10, or 15 minutes before you unblock an app. PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN Take a short pause with your phone face down on your desk, chest, or lap, or tucked in your pocket. The pause progresses while your phone is put away and stops when you pick it up. Leave NoMo open; sound and haptics let you know when the pause is complete. A simple pause is available if placement detection doesn't work for you. CHOOSE NOT NOW After the pause, you may find you no longer need the app. Tap Not now to keep it blocked. Your opens skipped today appear on Home as a quiet acknowledgment of that choice. SEE YOUR HABITS CLEARLY See today's usage, your daily average, and the last hour at a glance. Explore weekly and monthly trends, set daily and hourly targets, and let Mo's changing mood remind you to check in with yourself. REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS Add a reminder to yourself on Home, or connect Apple Reminders to see what you wanted to do before you reached for your phone. A warm, quiet design. A moment to reconsider. More room for your day. NoMo Screen Time. Mo real life. OPTIONAL MEMBERSHIP Every feature stays free. If NoMo helps you use your phone on your terms, an optional membership supports its continued development and removes membership invitations. Choose monthly or yearly billing. Eligible users can start with a six-month free trial; current pricing and trial terms are shown before purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Privacy policy: https://www.aswathkrishnan.com/p/privacy-policy-for-nomo.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Brick at 60K against NoMo Screen Time's 5. Brick also leads on chart position (#82 vs unranked). NoMo Screen Time's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Brick against 5.0 for NoMo Screen Time. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brick has 60K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Brick's written reviews are positive against 100% of NoMo Screen Time's.
Brick ships an update every 4 days, NoMo Screen Time every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brick | NoMo Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (60K ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 60K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #82 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brick LLC (Wisconsin) | Aswath Krishnan |
Customer experience
Brick
NoMo Screen Time
Bugs and requests
Brick
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when selecting apps to block/allow
- Saved settings get deleted or reset unexpectedly
- Inability to block certain apps like Safari
- Bricked mode not working as expected after phone restart
Requested features
4 requests- Scheduled bricking/unbricking modes
- Remote bricking option
- Ability to block more than 50 apps
- Improved app stability and reliability
NoMo Screen Time
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Brick
No in-app purchases
NoMo Screen Time
No in-app purchases









