Brick Social Media Blocker Review: I Bought It Because I Have No Self-Control

Did I spend £45 on the Brick because I have no self-control? Did I hold my head in my hands after purchasing the Brick, in utter embarrassment? Did I try to use my own (pathetic) discipline for weeks before buying it?

Unfortunately for me, the answers are YES. Fortunately for YOU, it must have worked; otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing about it and sharing my shame with the world.

Why did I buy the Brick to block social media?

I find myself scrolling for endless hours, not taking anything in, going back and forth closing/reopening apps (sometimes the SAME app) without being present at all. I’ve started to annoy myself. It’s gotten to the point where I have to do something about.

I reach for my phone all the time: when I finish something at work, which can be as tiny as an email, or watching TV, or on the loo. It’s almost an unconscious habit now, and it’s making me hate myself. I want my attention back!

I want my life to be full of me – not watching others!

What do I need help with?

I feel like social media worsens my concentration on other things (like reading) and drains my energy. I don’t mind going on social media for 5 minutes here and there, but not when I’m doom scrolling; taking nothing in, mindlessly not really watching anything.

I want to block social media except around lunchtime and teatime, to give myself some time to catch up and watch, but within very tight time restrictions.

Energy levels
I don’t like going on social media early because I feel like it zaps my energy for the rest of the day. I’ve learnt a lot from social media, but there’s a time and place for it.

Working from home
I work from home, and find I reach for my phone far too often. It’s a distraction but I don’t want to move my phone to another room, because I still want to be available if someone rings/texts.

Before bed
I scroll before bed, instead of reading (which I love doing). Before I know it, an hour has past and then I still have to read! This makes bedtime very late, making me tired the next day.

Which social media apps do I need to block?
I want to block TikTok, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook as the priority. I use YouTube for background music (I like the jazz fire rainy backgrounds) but I need to block the shorts. I have a bad habit of playing YouTube videos in the background while working. The idea here is to ‘have something on whilst I work’ but I usually just end up watching it!

Brick vs app timers vs leaving in another room: why Brick worked for me

App timer – On my Samsung, I can set a timer with certain apps using the Digital Wellbeing app. Whilst this is really useful sometimes, with others I just change the time and override it.

Leaving my phone in another room – I have my phone muted, so I hate not being able to see if I’ve gotten a text or call.

I don’t want to delete apps – The problem is I speak to friends using these apps so I don’t want to delete them.

How does Brick work?

You download the Brick app, then sync the Brick to your phone by holding it close. Once synced, you select the apps you want to block. You can have different modes (more on this later).

Brick basically works because it forces you to go to the brick to unblock those apps. The likelihood of you doing this isn’t very high, so it works as a blocker and lets you get on with life!

You put the Brick out of reach, so it’s an inconvenience and adds friction because you’ve physically got to move your phone to the Brick to unbrick. With the app timers I’ve used, they only work part of the time because I can easily override them when I’m in that mood because I do it from my phone – I don’t have to get up and go to the Brick.

For example, if you brick your apps in the morning at home and then leave for work, you wouldn’t be able to unbrick until you got back home!

Magnet – as well as just placing it on a worktop, it’s also magnetic. I’m using my freezer, which is at the farthest-away point in my house. You can easily move it should you wish.

What are the Brick features?

• No subscriptions are needed, and it never needs charging.
• You don’t need to brick by tapping the brick – you can block all apps wherever you are. For example, say you’ve gone to bed and have forgotten to brick for the night. You can simply brick from your bed. You only have to physically touch the brick to unbrick.
• Modes: you can have different apps/websites blocked together in different modes. E.g., a mode called ‘Work’ might block all social media. A mode called ‘Family time’ might block all work-related apps.
• Schedule: create routines that start at the same time each day, e.g. 9am. You can set specific end times or when you unbrick. I find this EXTREMELY helpful.

How am I using Brick?

I’ve put my Brick on a freezer in the far end of the house. I don’t live in a mansion, but it’s far away to add a physical blocker. Brick works because unbricking takes effort. You have to manually tap your phone to the Brick.

I’ve set up a mode called ‘Work’ that blocks all social media apps and a few schedules to automatically turn on the brick. My new personal agenda (I work from home):

• The schedule bricks at 9am automatically
• Unbrick 12pm for lunch, if I want
• Brick before I log back to work
• Unbrick at teatime, after work has finished, again, if I feel like it
• 9pm schedule kicks in

This completely stops me from doomscrolling when I’m bored.

I don’t use social media for anything business-related. It’s purely downtime. I imagine if you use it for business, you’ll have to figure out when you’re more likely to doom-scroll for non-business and be strict with yourself. For example, if you do your social media content in the day, you could then block those apps in the evening once you’ve finished the business side and are more likely to doomscroll.

Has Brick helped reduce my doomscrolling?

The day it came, I set it up at lunch. For that whole day, I still grabbed my phone the same but kept realising I couldn’t get on to my favourite apps! I spent a bit more time on reddit and I even felt desperate enough to visit LinkedIn.

What benefits have I seen?

• From not going on social media, I’ve read more (which I love but have often deprioritised)
• I’ve exercised after work (and at lunchtime) more – probably due to my energy levels being slightly better
• I saw a friend after work when I’d usually have downtime and scroll

When I start to doomscroll after work because I’m tired, I realise what I’m doing much quicker than I used to and simply Brick. Then pull out a book, do one of my paint-by-numbers, take my dogs out or play with them, or even talk to my husband!

Over the weekend, if I find I’m scrolling, I’ll Brick, then get on with my day. It frees my brain and gives me the space I need to actually get on with life.

Would I recommend Brick?

Yes, 100%. It’s made me more present with life, even if I’m unbricked. I enjoy social media more now because I’m not on it much. The automatic schedules are absolutely amazing for when I forget to Brick.

I hesitated for weeks before buying it, but I’m SO glad I took the plunge. Even though the price hurt!

How much is Brick?

I paid £45 in total; £40 with a discount code plus £5 delivery.

• Get 10% off your brick by using my link: https://www.getbrick.com/

Is it worth the price from a design POV? In a word, no. It’s plain, grey, which is probably the point: to be inconspicuous. Other colours aren’t available. That being said, the app is excellent. It doesn’t crash, easy to use and set things up.

How long does delivery take?

I’m in the UK. Delivery only took a few days, although the emails I got weren’t accurate and said it might take 2 weeks.