TLDR
Most people quit Brick for one of two reasons: its Screen Time-based block has workarounds, from Settings to reported lapses after a restart, or Apple's own Screen Time settings silently override it.
Brick vs Opal vs One Sec vs iOS Screen Time: compared according to reddit users
Gets in the way when you need it 1 = Didn't notice · 2 = Mildly annoying · 3 = Noticeable · 4 = Frustrating · 5 = Made me want to quit
Reduction strength 1 = No real change (~0-10%) · 2 = Slight decrease (~10-30%) · 3 = Moderate decrease (~30-60%) · 4 = Large decrease (~60-90%) · 5 = Total reduction (100%)
The Unscroll hypothesis (dotted circle): Unscroll is new and doesn't have independent Reddit data yet. Read more on the transparency of this research and the weaknesses of this approach below.
How these scores are chosen
Both axes are 1-5 scores averaged from real Reddit users' answers to a fixed-choice question — see the answer-dictionary legend for exactly what each answer means. Hover any point for how many people are behind each score, and a verbatim quote from the median-scoring one of them. 874 unique Reddit users are behind the scores; the per-tool counts add up to more because some people discussed more than one tool.
15 of 16 solutions here have both axes directly measured from real Reddit users. Unscroll's dotted circle is a hypothesis rather than a Reddit measurement (see the note above).
The quote shown for each axis is the median-scoring user of everyone found for that solution, not the most quotable one, so it represents the score rather than the extreme. Axes with a borrowed or manually seeded score have no quote, by design.
Gets in the way (X)
Gets in the way — how much the tool disrupted the user in the moment (a blend of how often and how intensely it did, judged as a single gut-feel answer rather than two separate scores, since either factor alone can dominate the felt experience)
Reduction strength (Y)
Reduction strength — impact on scrolling screen time
Show all 16 tools and their evidence
The rare person who can give up a smartphone entirely.
"the hardest part for me has been everyone else in the world. … statements such as "how am i supposed to get ahold of you?"...."what if there's an emergency?", etc. … you will feel out of place."
"I actually didn't have a smart phone my first 3 years in Accounting. I did have to buy a tablet for an authenticator app to log into work since I WFH, but otherwise it was never an issue."
People who want a set break, like a weekend or a week, rather than a permanent change.
"The first day was the most relaxing I'd had in a long time. Time dilated and I felt like one day was 48 hours instead of 24… Around this day everything became way easier: the frequency of randomly picking up my phone to check it reduced greatly."
"I managed to almost complete the challenge but I lost my job and needed a place to vent so I redownloaded reddit. […] I’m so glad I did the detox. I rediscovered my love for art and started reading again."
People willing to carry a classic feature phone for calls and texts and give up smartphone apps.
"I bought one a few weeks ago. My thoughts… Pros: light/slim… looks cool… cheap. Cons: had issue with phone calls dropping… sent texts would be sent, but i couldn’t see them on my screen… battery barely lasted a day."
"I use the tracfone version of it (2760), and the browser is SO laggy and barely loads a lot of sites... I got mine to break my doomscrolling addiction, and it’s genuinely helped so much. I can barely even load reddit on it."
People ready to go cold turkey on specific apps, who can still use the browser version when they truly need it.
"The best thing I ever did was delete the Instagram app and start using the instagram.com mobile site. It still gives me the dopamine hit and I’m still up to date but because the mobile version is a bit more clunky than the app it makes me scroll less."
"Heck yes!!! I love that app SO MUCH. I frequently put full blocks on super strict mode for a month at a time. Just got back on reddit on the 1st of this month. Ready to delete it again LMAO."
People who want a phone with calls, texts and, on most models, maps, but no social media feeds.
"The screen is definitely small. And I’ve noticed that I don’t really feel like installing new apps or special apps on the phone because using them is more tedious than on a normal smartphone. But when I actually need something, everything has worked for me so far except Revolut."
"since i'm working mostly in front of PC, is nothing more change other than i reduce my screentime significantly and more focus on my work… I also do more journaling these days, it really feels good to write with my hand instead of typing on my social media like i used to."
People who want a physical tag they have to tap to unblock, so unblocking takes a deliberate trip.
"I bought the ‘Brick’ blocker. … Deleting the app won't let you open your phone—you have to get up and walk to wherever the device is to ‘un-brick’. That's enough ‘friction’ for me to make better choices."
"The brick is pricey and it doesn't take a genius to bypass some things, even in Strict Mode, but, man, it's so effective for me. One on the fridge, one in the office. I'm more present at home and don't doom scroll while commuting. Highly recommend!"
The Unscroll hypothesis — our target, not yet tested against independent Reddit data. That's why it's a dotted circle.
iPhone users who need their feeds for work or social life and want to see how long they've been scrolling while they scroll, without hard blocks.
Unscroll is too new for organic Reddit discussion. Its reduction-strength placement ('Moderate decrease') is a hypothesis supported by real but limited internal data: across all users, scrolling time fell by a weighted average of 52% versus their own pre-Unscroll estimate (aggregated app data, self-reported baseline, not peer reviewed; unscroll.io/results). Its gets-in-the-way placement ('Mildly annoying') is a design goal only: there is no measured figure for it yet.
iPhone users who want scheduled app blocking and will lock its settings with a Screen Time passcode someone else holds.
"I started keeping social media (and any distracting apps) blocked at all times... it’s super annoying, I kept opening reddit and instagram to find it blocked, but over a few weeks I got used to it and my screen time went way down."
"Been using Opal for a little while now, and my screen time has been cut almost in half, down to about 3 hours a day. It’s made staying focused and off my phone way easier."
People who want a short pause before opening chosen apps, to break the automatic open-and-scroll habit without losing access. On iPhone and Android.
"Every time I try to open Instagram, I get redirected to the one sec app where I’m forced to wait 10 seconds. This is just long enough for me to think about what I'm doing… Since I started using the one sec app in December, I've saved a whopping 16 hours of time."
"I use the free version of ‘one sec’, it has its drawbacks (ex. no app switching in the free plan, stuff like that) and setting it up feels slightly clunky but they do a good job walking you through it and overall it has been a boon to me!"
People who want a plainer, text-only home screen on the phone they already own.
"The best part is you can ‘hide’ apps, which makes it really annoying to get to... Then I realized the BEST BEST part... You can set each app to open with a delay... If I try to open instagram, it asks ‘are you sure?’ and doesn't let me reply for like 10 seconds... This has worked SO much."
"After my stint with the LP2, i got a qwerty smartphone, put a minimal launcher on it, set it to greyscale+darkmode, only install utility apps, and its the best phone experience ive ever had."
People who want to earn app time with push-ups, or pass a short pause, before opening chosen apps.
"The biggest difference this time for me, maybe was ClearSpace. It does cost money and there’s a lot of apps with similar features that do the same thing, its just the one I’ve ended up using. I think I’ve found that having to wait 30 seconds even though it doesn’t sound like a lot was too much effort so I just won’t bother using it."
"Those few seconds of pause before accessing an app felt like an eternity, but they made me more conscious of my actions. Gradually, I noticed a change. I started reaching for my phone less and engaging more with the world around me."
Android users who want free, built-in daily app timers and a scheduled Focus mode.
"I’m currently preparing for job interviews, and the ‘Focus Mode’ is nice for adding a little bit of friction for when my mind wanders and I pick up the phone to reflexively check the news or see what’s on the Reddit front page."
"If anyone else is trying to decrease their phone use, I'd recommend the Digital Wellbeing app… You can see your total phone use time, and set time limits for certain apps. Putting a 30 minute daily limit on Reddit helped cut my screen time significantly."
People who want a free setting that makes the phone less rewarding to look at.
"I had some luck on my iphone by using slightly less than full grayscale. There was a slider that allowed some color, which made navigation easier, but not the full throbbing vibrant eye-catching palette."
"Setting my phone to greyscale helped me stop using it so much. Then, I deleted everything except my music app and a couple games like sudoku and tetris."
People who want a free, built-in app limit and won't tap 'Ignore Limit', or who let someone else set the Screen Time passcode.
"My wife held the Screen Time passcode; I got to keep essential iPhone features and keep my problem apps down to a collective hour a day. Sometimes I picked up the phone, found the dopamine-heavy apps locked, and put it back."
"I had this problem so I had my son pick a screentime password for me. When my time is up (45 min total on FB, Instagram and Reddit) I can’t do 15 more minutes because I don’t know the password."
People who would rather earn scrolling time with push-ups or squats than face a plain block.
"sometimes when i spend 5 hours doomscrolling on my phone and my app (pushscroll) blocks it i’ll go on my laptop and cant stop. i really liked pushscroll cause it made me RECORD me doing something else to get out of that brain rot cycle so it helps a lot. i pay about 35/year for it. got my screen time down about 2 hours"
"Hey you can try out this app called PushScroll. It makes you do pushups if you want to doomscroll. So kills two birds with one stone. Get gains and reduce scroll time."
People who want the same scheduled blocks on their phone and their computer.
"Freedom is very annoying from my experience, the VPN will get in the way of some apps even if they are not in the block list. I found I was constantly having to delete the app to use a train ticket app…"
Surprising findings about Brick
Brick disrupts users less than Apple's built-in Screen Time while cutting scrolling more
Why this is surprising Users expect a free, system-level tool to be less intrusive and at least as effective as a paid third-party gadget, but the data shows the opposite: the built-in tool is both more annoying and less effective.
Evidence Brick averages 3.15/5 on gets in the way (20 users) vs iOS Screen Time's 3.36/5 (53 users); reduction strength 3.04/5 (48 users) vs 2.34/5 (71 users).
Brick outperforms the popular paid subscription blocker Opal on both disruption and effectiveness
Why this is surprising Opal carries a recurring fee and a polished reputation, so users assume it would be more refined and impactful than a one-time hardware accessory, yet Brick demands less daily friction while delivering a stronger reduction in scrolling.
Evidence Brick averages 3.15/5 on gets in the way (20 users) vs Opal's 3.44/5 (18 users); reduction strength 3.04/5 (48 users) vs Opal's 2.87/5 (31 users).
Brick nearly matches the scrolling reduction of deleting apps but with noticeably less daily annoyance
Why this is surprising Permanently removing the apps is considered the nuclear option, and most assume no tool that keeps them installed can come close, yet Brick closes most of the effectiveness gap while feeling less disruptive day to day.
Evidence Brick averages 3.04/5 on reduction strength (48 users) vs deleting apps' 3.37/5 (137 users); gets in the way 3.15/5 (20 users) vs 3.33/5 (67 users).
The real reasons people leave Brick
Screen Time workarounds
Brick's block runs on Apple's Screen Time permission, so it inherits that system's workarounds: the permission can be switched off in iOS Settings unless extra protection is set up, and some users report blocks lapsing after changing settings or restarting the phone.
Native Screen Time conflicts
Apple's built-in App Limits, 'Always Allowed' list, and other screen-time apps can override Brick without warning. Setting up Brick requires disabling these defaults for it to work.
Is Brick worth it, according to app store reviews?
Users find that requiring physical contact with the Brick device to unlock apps creates effective friction against mindless scrolling, leading to meaningful behavior changes. Multiple users report major gains: one cites an 80% productivity increase, while others describe significant screen-time reduction, better sleep, and a broad sense of regained time and life control. The physical mechanism itself is credited for making the restraint feel more deliberate than software-only alternatives.
Users report that the removal of the timer feature has significantly reduced the app's utility, with some calling it the best feature that should be restored. Additionally, bugs and glitches persist: schedules sometimes fail to activate after unbricking, the app lags when selecting apps, and schedule reliability issues are common. These problems collectively undermine the core blocking functionality.
"Having to physically be near the brick, makes it so that the ability to access the apps that ruin my focus makes me much more likely to stay off of them"
"The fact that I have to physically un-brick my phone, makes a huge difference"
"I just leave the brick at home when I go to school and it works to perfection"
"My productivity increased by 80%!"
"It has significantly lowered my screen time and it's very easy to use"
"I'm already sleeping better because my phone isn't the last thing I look at each night"
"Brick literally saved my life."
"Got my time back - I didn't realize how much of my life I was wasting scrolling"
"I feel like I have my life back!"
"They removed the timer feature. They didn't replace it with something else."
"Please bring back the timer asap, the app is nowhere near as good as it was before"
"I really enjoyed the ability to set it for just an hour or two... I considered that the best feature"
"Whenever you want to select an app it constantly lags out"
"Schedules don't work all the time like if you unbrick for some reason it does not go back to the schedule"
"The schedule isn't working"
What the research says about Brick's mechanism
Brick's mechanism adds physical friction: tapping a hardware tag to unblock apps. Research on friction interventions and related techniques provides evidence for this approach.
Friction-adding techniques show promising small effects in pilot studies, though these findings are rarely replicated.
Who does Brick actually work for?
When Brick works best
You're a heavy doomscroller who wants deliberate physical friction and has no overlapping Screen Time allowances of your own that could conflict with it.
- Struggles with compulsive app checking
- Accepts that a determined user can find a workaround
- Has somewhere to leave the Brick, like home or a desk
- Needs friction beyond software limits
- Has no overlapping Screen Time allowances
Why does Brick fail long term?
Physical friction via NFC block, with trade-offs native to iOS permissions.
Brick's mechanism is a physical NFC tag that switches iOS Screen Time restrictions on and off. Workarounds through Settings and conflicts with Apple's own limits come from relying on those permissions. The design suits places where leaving the Brick behind is realistic, like home or bedtime, more than portable use. The friction it adds fits evidence that effortful barriers can disrupt automatic habits.
Best alternatives to Brick that work differently
Pause-based awareness
The pause only happens as an app opens and can be dismissed, so it does nothing once you're already scrolling.
One Sec adds a pause rather than a block, so there's no block for Apple's own Screen Time settings to override.
- Native Screen Time conflicts
- Only triggers at app open, so it does nothing to limit scrolling time once the user is already inside an app.
- Needs its Shortcuts automations set up on iPhone, and those can be switched off unless locked.
One Sec
People who want a short pause before opening chosen apps, to break the automatic open-and-scroll habit without losing access. On iPhone and Android.
Field study, 280 people (Grüning et al., 2023, PNAS): attempts to open target apps fell 37% over six weeks. Co-authored by the app's developer.
Small hacks
Free and quick to set up, but just as quick to switch off, and the effect is modest: it changes how the phone looks, not what you can open.
Grayscale is a display setting, not a Screen Time restriction, so there's no Screen Time permission to switch off and nothing for Apple's limits to override.
- Screen Time workarounds
- Native Screen Time conflicts
- Reduces time per session but does not reduce how often the phone is picked up (checking frequency).
- Can be easily toggled off in Settings with no friction.
Grayscale mode
People who want a free setting that makes the phone less rewarding to look at.
Field study, 84 people (Dekker & Baumgartner, 2024): one week of grayscale cut phone time by about 20 minutes a day; how often people unlocked the phone didn't change.
Abstinence
You lose the useful parts of the apps along with the scrolling, and nothing stops you reinstalling them or picking the phone back up.
Deleting the apps removes them instead of relying on a Screen Time block, so there's no permission to switch off and no Apple setting to conflict with.
- Screen Time workarounds
- Native Screen Time conflicts
- High relapse risk: user can reinstall apps or end detox early.
- Impractical for apps needed for work or messaging.
Deleting the apps
People ready to go cold turkey on specific apps, who can still use the browser version when they truly need it.
No study of deleting apps itself. The closest, a 4-week Facebook deactivation experiment (Allcott et al., 2020), found use stayed lower after it ended.
Temporary digital detox
People who want a set break, like a weekend or a week, rather than a permanent change.
Randomised trial, 467 people (Castelo et al., 2025): after a two-week block on all mobile internet, 91% improved on at least one of well-being, mental health or attention.
Dumbphone
New hardware to buy and carry. A feature phone like a Nokia keeps calls and texts but loses maps, messaging apps like WhatsApp, banking and most authenticator apps; a dumb touchscreen phone usually keeps maps and sometimes a messaging app, depending on the model.
A dumbphone doesn't run the apps at all, so there's no Screen Time block to work around.
- Screen Time workarounds
- Native Screen Time conflicts
- Losing everyday apps: a feature phone drops maps, WhatsApp and banking apps; a dumb touchscreen phone keeps some of them, depending on the model.
- Some dumbphones still have basic web browsers, offering a potential escape hatch.
Dumb touchscreen phone
People who want a phone with calls, texts and, on most models, maps, but no social media feeds.
No study of dumb touchscreen phones specifically.
Nokia (feature phone)
People willing to carry a classic feature phone for calls and texts and give up smartphone apps.
No study of feature phones specifically.
About the author
Sources (67)
67 sources directly shaped the analysis above; 206 were reviewed in total during research.
Research & studies 27
App Store review data 1
Changelog & product docs 39
Additional sources reviewed 75
Reddit threads (23)
Web & press (52)
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