What Is the Phone 'Brick'? Device Goes Viral as Social Media Users Resolve to Reduce Screen Time

What Is the Phone 'Brick'? Device Goes Viral as Social Media Users Resolve to Reduce Screen Time https://ift.tt/T8BGzQg

Social media users say the $59 device is helping them reduce phone time, focus better and even reduce anxiety

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Stock image of a person on their phone in bed

NEED TO KNOW

• The “Brick” is a device that locks chosen apps on your phone until you physically return to it, helping users curb mindless scrolling
• TikTokers including @haleyreidtay say it has made their phone time more intentional, creating healthier routines and boosting productivity
• However, not everyone loves it: some users find scrolls on the phone too fun to resist

If you’ve been scrolling social media lately, you may have seen the buzz about the “Brick” — and no, it’s not a literal brick.

The device, which pairs with your phone via an app, is designed to help people reclaim their attention from smartphones, which can often feel more like a time‑sucking black hole than a helpful tool. For many, it’s part of a growing trend of tools aimed at helping people set boundaries with tech, focus on real-life tasks, and reclaim their time.

Here’s how it works: when you “Brick” your phone by tapping it to the device, it locks access to apps you’ve chosen to block — think social media, games, and other distractions — until you physically return to the Brick and “un‑Brick” it. Calls and essential notifications still get through, but everything else is off-limits, giving users a literal pause from mindless scrolling.

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Stock image of someone on their phone in bed

TikTok user Haley, who goes by @haleyreidtay, says the device has completely changed her relationship with her phone.

"I'm addicted to bricking," she admits in a viral video. "I have a schedule in the morning, and at night to limit Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest — anything that I'm just scrolling on mindlessly."

Unlike built-in screen time limits, Haley says the Brick forces a mental pause. "There's something about physically tapping your phone to the Brick where you're like, 'Okay, I'm going to choose instead of being productive, or instead of screentime, I'm going to pick scrolling over doing whatever else I need to do,'" she explains.

Before using the device, Haley says her routine was simple: get into bed and scroll until she was too tired to keep her eyes open. Now, her phone Bricks at 8 p.m., so at that point, the mom of two is done with her phone for the night.

"Since I've been using this, my phone time is so much more intentional," she continues. "I'm using it to actually do the content-creating work that I need to do — and then I'm done with it."

Haley isn’t the only one seeing results. Another user of Brick, @austin.gouda, shared on TikTok that using the device has helped him cut down his hours on social media, too. Before using the device, he says he was averaging 10 hours a day on his phone. Since using the Brick, he’s cut it down by three hours.

"It's still a lot...but I'm getting three hours of my life back every day and hoping to get that screentime down a little bit more," he says.

Of course, the Brick isn’t for everyone. Another TikTok user, @kfruitfly, shared her honest review of the product, which retails for $59.

"Um listen, it's not for me," she says. "Want to know why? My phone, I have it on a schedule, and it says 'oop you bricked, you can't get in your apps.' And I'm like 'oop all I gotta do is tap my phone,' and guess what? I have too much fun. I tap my phone... so yeah, not for me. I really don't know how or why this would work for anybody — it's too much fun tapping."