We Tested The Brick, The App-Blocking Tool That Has Gone Viral. Here’s What We Think

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Welcome to Skimm Tested, a series where we put viral products to the test and give you our honest, unfiltered reviews.

What We Tested…

• The Brick, $59

How We Tested…

My coworker and I implemented The Brick into our daily and nightly routines over the course of six weeks. We made notes of how we felt before and after using it, along with the impact it had on our screen times.

Why Margo Tested…

Margo’s Results…

• Quick setup. It took me nearly no time to set The Brick up. All I needed to do was add my email, submit a verification code sent to my email, and grant the tool permission to access my screen time. The Brick itself is weighty and has a magnet on the back. You can keep it just about anywhere, but I kept mine on my fridge for easy access.

• Personalization. Once you create your account and have the app set up, you can create custom modes. I have one that’s set to block out Instagram and one that cuts out all work-related apps (Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar) by bedtime so I’m not aimlessly scrolling or thinking about things that I shouldn’t be when winding down. I love that you can get creative with how you name the different modes. The latter mode I created is called “Reading Time” because at bedtime, that’s all I want to be focusing on.

• Ease of use. To lock yourself out of your apps, all you have to do is hold your phone up to The Brick. It’ll scan and then lock you out. Since you can create a schedule for when you get access to your apps again, you can set it and forget it. If you have an extenuating circumstance and need to check your apps suddenly, you can click “unbrick device” on the app and scan again.

• Effectiveness. I was pleasantly surprised that I noticed an impact pretty immediately. By having certain apps blocked, without the ability to unblock them from my phone (like Apple’s Screen Time capability), I found myself reaching for my phone and doomscrolling a lot less. In fact, I saw a decrease in my screen time ranging from 35%-53% in recent weeks, which is a major change. My head feels clearer, and mitigating that knee-jerk reaction to scroll has allowed me to really focus on the hobbies I love.

Why Abby Tested…

Abby’s Results…

• Ease of use. Abby notes her love of the tool’s easy setup. Because of how painless and quick it was, she could get right into using it. If she wanted to make adjustments to her custom modes, she could also do that with ease by going into the app and deselecting the apps she didn’t want blocked.

• Tactile nature. Abby enjoyed that there is a physical element to this tool. Because it’s so tangible, it felt like a more mindful experience than just setting a timer on her phone or bypassing apps for further distraction.

• Personalization. Abby mainly used The Brick in two modes: what she calls “deep work,” which blocked all social media apps, email, text messages, and any other social media apps that would cause her to subconsciously scroll, and what she calls “quiet mode,” which was perfect for times when she wanted to stay connected with loved ones without scrolling and bedrotting.

• Effectiveness. Abby also likes that you can set a timer for moments when you just need a break, without having to worry about using your allotted “emergency unbricks.” More on that below.

Sidenotes…

• The Brick has an "emergency unbrick” feature, which gives you five chances to unlock your apps without the physical device. After the five chances, you’ll need to scan The Brick to unlock your apps.

• While $59 is pricey for such a small device, we both think that it’s more than worth it. On top of the brand constantly offering sales, they also offer bundle pricing. That said, The Brick is now FSA/HSA-eligible via Truemed, which we think is the best route to take when purchasing.

The Fine Details…

• The Brick, $59

• Right now, you can purchase The Brick only at getbrick.com.