This $60 Magnet Changed How I Use My iPhone

The Brick isn't a traditional screentime app. It's a physical magnet that's the key to blocking certain apps on your phone. My forever goal is to spend less time on my iPhone to protect my mental health. However, as a wellness writer whose job is to keep up with the latest health tech trends and news, it can be tough for me to decrease my screentime. Plus, iPhone and in-app screentime limits don't work for me, as I find they're easy to disable in seconds with just a few taps. Perhaps the over 1 billion people who spent at least three hours a day scrolling social media in 2020 can relate, especially considering that the pandemic years supercharged our scrolling and created poor digital hygiene habits many of us still haven't recovered from. Yet, since its launch in 2023, a palm-sized device called the Brick has gained popularity for its ability to prevent people from endlessly scrolling on their phones. It's a $59 square magnet "powered by an NFC [near-field communication] chip embedded in the device," TJ Driver, the Brick's co-founder, tells CNET. "Instead of relying on batteries or an external power source, it draws power directly from your smartphone's NFC reader when you tap it," he says. "That communicates with your Brick app to lock (or unlock) your selected apps, putting real friction between you and your screentime." In other words, you have to physically tap your phone on the Brick to activate or deactivate the lock, so you can't simply tap it away like you would a screentime alert or app on your phone. To find out if the Brick is the key to cutting ties with doomscrolling, I spent months tapping my phone on the surface of that unassuming gray square. How to cement the Brick into your lifeYour purchase of the Brick includes the physical Brick and access to the Brick app, no subscription necessary. Inside the box, there's a QR code that takes you to a webpage where you can download the app for iOS or Android. For the iOS app, Apple requires an iPhone passcode, but you can remove it after you use the Brick for the first time. As for Android users, the Brick will also direct you to your device's settings to allow the Brick app, alarms and reminders and notification access. One Brick can be used with multiple phones, and a single phone can be used with multiple Bricks if you want to keep them in different locations, such as at home and at work. Once you create an account, you'll need to grant the app access to your phone's screentime tracker. Then you create your first mode, name it and select the apps and websites you want to block or allow when enabled. You can create up to 10 modes for different occasions, such as work, studying, family dinner and personal time. All blocking information is stored locally on your phone, and the Brick can't see what you block. When you want to start or end a Brick session, you simply press the "tap or hold to Brick" button on the app's home screen and then physically tap your phone to the Brick. You can also hold down the button for 5 seconds to "brick" your phone, but you'll need the physical Brick to "unbrick" it. You can even create a schedule for when your modes are enabled. It'll start at a specific time on selected days and either conclude at a set time or when you tap the Brick with your device. The Brick app homescreen where you can tap or hold that button to "brick" your device. In the app, you can view your Brick activity and adjust settings, including access to five "emergency unbricks" that let you unbrick your phone in an emergency without using the physical Brick. And yes, you only get five, so use them wisely. In settings, you can enable the following when your Brick is active: In addition to being magnetic for refrigerators, lockers and the like, the Brick has an anti-slip silicone bottom that keeps it in place on any surface. There are various customizations you can make to your Brick sessions to prevent doomscrolling. After setting up the Brick app, I placed the physical square on my fridge. My thought process was that I tend to doomscroll on my couch, and my fridge is far enough away that I have to think twice before getting up to walk through my living room and kitchen to tap the Brick. I created one mode called "Mindful Mode," which I programmed to block all social media apps and websites I tend to use: TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Unlike screentime limits that only work on your phone, I love that the Brick requires an extra step, allowing you to get away from your phone's influence and take a moment to ask yourself: Do I really want to spend more time on my phone right now? When you have the space to actually think about all of the other activities available to you during your free time, suddenly staring at a screen doesn't seem so appealing. Personally, I'd rather spend time with loved ones, read on my balcony, birdwatch at a local park or go for a walk. From FOMO to NO-MO. What it looks like when you try to access one of

This $60 Magnet Changed How I Use My iPhone

Key takeaways

More in tech