Parents have said this £45 phone locking device makes ‘such a difference’ to reducing screen time for both them and their children when nothing else has worked
If you’re struggling to reduce screen time or want to keep your kids off their phones and tablets this summer, the secret could be one tiny device that people are saying has “changed my life”. Whether it’s you or your little ones that you want to cut down screen time for, The Brick has been proving a big hit.
Priced at just £44.75, The Brick can instantly block distracting apps that make it easier to put down your phone or tablet and be more present in your day-to-day life. Unlike app-based blockers, which can usually be overridden by waiting for 10 seconds, The Brick is required to be physically present to allow you to access your apps again, making you more mindful of your scrolling habits.
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The Brick is exactly that – a small physical block which is made with a high-grade magnet and anti-slip silicone base, so you can put it everywhere from your bedside table to your desk or dashboard. It doesn’t need wifi, batteries or charging to work, making it a really straightforward addition to your daily routine, and one Brick can work with multiple phones, making it great for families.
You can choose which specific apps you want to block access to, or block everything except certain apps so you can tailor it to exactly what you need. You can also build personalised modes that suit different parts of your day. For example, during work hours have it set so you block social media but still have access to things like maps, emails or Slack.
Whilst enjoying personal time, The Brick will make sure your work emails and notifications won’t reach you, letting you be fully present. You can even set it to only allow camera access for capturing memories, without getting distracted by social media or messages.
You can switch it on with a single tap, and to turn it off The Brick has to be physically present, so you’ll need to walk back into the room where you keep, and tap your phone on it in order to switch it off.
When you buy The Brick you’ll also get free and unlimited access to the app for life, with no subscription or recurring fees. This app is where you can set up your different modes, choose which apps you do and don’t want access to, and set your routine for the day.
If you want you and your family to go fully phone free for something, like a game night, family dinner or special occasion, this Mobile Phone Locker is a fun and easy way to make sure no one ends up mindlessly scrolling. It features slots to place from 12-72 phones depending on which size you buy, with a lockable door and carry handle, so you can all place your phones inside, and lock them away for an hour or two.
However, The Brick has gotten rave reviews from shoppers who say it’s been one of the only things that’s helped stop them from mindlessly scrolling. One said: “Actually changed my life. I would always get around the screen saver apps. I’ve been using this for 4 days and schedule feature I think has changed my life.”
Another agreed: “Great for kids and adults alike to set reasonable parameters around phone use. The extra step to unbrick it is a better guardrail than the option to “ignore” a limit.”
Main issues that users have faced is that it required you to remember to physically tap your phone on it to set it off, with some saying after the novelty wore off they forgot to do it. Others found that sometimes they would max out the number of apps they could block at once, which meant having to be more selective with what to block.
But others loved The Brick, saying: “I feel so much freer from my phone! I love how the brick lets me still have apps on my phone while still giving me the ability to lock them up at different times of the day, limit the use of my phone and enjoy other things more!”
Another agreed: “I shouldn’t like this so much. I should just be able to put my phone down. But truth is I didn’t. I have spent more time gardening, cleaning, reading, walking, etc. because I cannot use certain apps on my phone. The environmental setup of having to go unlock it (versus just locking apps on my phone that I can change in my hand) makes this efficient for me.”
