$59 Brick device helps users curb screen time with a tap

Brick is trying to sell something software has not fixed: a physical pause before the next scroll. The $59 NFC-enabled device from Brick LLC pairs with a companion app, and the company says users tap the Brick to lock selected apps and tap it again to get back in, with “no overrides or workarounds” in the normal flow.

The startup, founded by TJ Driver and Zach Nasgowitz, has framed the product as a way to add real-world friction to phone use instead of relying only on app timers and notification settings. Brick says it works with iPhone and Android, while its support pages say Android users need Android 12 or later and an NFC reader. The company also says users can use “Brick from anywhere” in the app, but still need the physical device to unbrick the phone when they follow the standard path.

That pitch lands in a national environment where screen time has become a public health concern rather than a private habit. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released in October 2024 found that 50.4% of U.S. teenagers ages 12 to 17 had four or more hours of daily screen time, and that heavier daily use was associated with more reported anxiety or depression symptoms in that age group. Against that backdrop, a tool built around deliberate inconvenience is part behavior aid and part test case: whether a small, tangible barrier can work better than another app promising self-control.

Brick’s own materials emphasize that tradeoff. The company says the device is meant to “Tap to disconnect from distractions and take back control of your time,” and describes it as a way to keep users focused until they are ready to reconnect. In a story about its origins, the founders said they used Brick themselves for everyday tasks such as listening to a podcast on a long walk, Venmoing a friend at dinner and keeping notes while working at a coffee shop.

The device also reflects the limits of low-tech discipline sold as a premium fix. Brick support materials say users get five Emergency Unbricks, which let them unlock a phone without the device and can be reset within two business days. The product page also tracks average Brick time, session length and week, month and lifetime comparisons, signaling that the company is not just selling abstinence but measurement. For users with the patience to carry the gadget and remember it when they leave home, Brick may feel more tangible than a settings menu. For everyone else, it is another reminder that the burden of managing attention is still being pushed onto individuals, one tap at a time.