Best Brick App Alternative (Free and Cheap Options)

7 min read · Brainrot Test

The best Brick app alternative depends on your budget: for free, turn an NFC sticker into a DIY Brick using iPhone Shortcuts or an Android automation app; for a few dollars more, try a timed lockbox; and if you want zero hardware, use an app-only blocker like Opal, One Sec or your phone's built-in limits. All of them copy Brick's core idea, which is adding physical effort between you and your apps.

If you're looking for a Brick app alternative because you keep breaking your own screen time rules, Brainrot Test can show you how strong that habit actually is before you spend anything: Check my brainrot.

What the Brick app does

What is the Brick app? Brick is a small physical block (think a magnet-sized square) with an NFC chip inside. You pair it with the Brick app on your phone and choose which apps to block.

Here's the flow:

1. Tap your phone on the Brick. Your chosen apps get locked. Your phone is "bricked."
2. To unlock, you have to physically tap the Brick again.
3. The trick: you leave the Brick somewhere annoying, like the kitchen, your car or your locker.

It works because it moves the "off switch" out of your hand. Software blockers fail because the undo button is two taps away. Brick's undo button is across the house.

Brick app review, in a sentence

Most Brick app reviews agree: it's effective for people who always cheat on software blockers, and the main complaint is the price of a small bit of plastic. Brick app cost is a one-time hardware purchase (check the official site for today's price), which is a lot for students. Hence this post. (If you are weighing an app-only blocker instead, read our Opal app review.)

Can you use the Brick app without a Brick?

Short answer: not really. The Brick app is built to pair with the Brick device, so using the Brick app without a Brick isn't the intended setup. People on Brick app Reddit threads ask this constantly, and the usual answer is "just build your own."

The good news: the idea behind Brick is simple enough to copy. You need two things:

• A trigger you have to physically touch (an NFC tag)
• An action that hides or locks your apps (a Focus mode, Screen Time limit or blocker app)

DIY Brick with an NFC tag

This is the most popular free-ish Brick alternative. NFC stickers are cheap, often sold in multipacks. Stick one on the fridge, your desk drawer or the back of your door.

DIY Brick on iPhone (Shortcuts)

iPhones from the last several years can run a Shortcuts automation when they touch an NFC tag.

1. Make a Focus mode called "Brick." In Settings, set it to hide the home screen pages where your problem apps live, and silence their notifications.
2. Open the Shortcuts app, then Automation, then create a new one and choose NFC.
3. Scan your sticker and name it.
4. Set the action to Set Focus: Brick, toggle.
5. Turn off "Ask Before Running" so one tap does it.
6. Stick the tag somewhere that's a pain to reach.

Now a tap turns "Brick mode" on, and you have to walk back to the tag to turn it off.

Be honest about the gap: a Focus mode hides apps; it doesn't fully lock them. You can still search for TikTok. To close that gap, also set a Screen Time limit on the apps with a passcode you give to a friend, sibling or parent.

DIY Brick on Android

1. Install an NFC automation app (NFC Tools, Tasker or similar).
2. Program the tag to switch on Digital Wellbeing's Focus mode or a blocker app.
3. Put Instagram, TikTok and YouTube in that Focus mode's paused list.

Android's Focus mode actually pauses apps, which makes the Android DIY Brick a bit stronger than the iPhone version.

DIY tips that make it stick

• Distance is everything. A tag on your desk is useless. Downstairs is ideal.
• Tag one room, not your phone case. Otherwise you'll tap it without moving.
• Pick one phrase for the mode. "Brick is on" is easier to say to your flatmates than "I'm in Focus."

The hard part of a DIY setup isn't the NFC tag; it's knowing whether you're actually using your phone less or just switching apps. Brainrot Test scores your habit from 0 to 100 and measures it again every Sunday, so your DIY Brick gets a real before-and-after instead of a vibe check. Check my brainrot

Cheaper physical options

If DIY isn't your thing, there are other ways to physically lock apps (or the whole phone) without paying Brick prices.

Timed lockbox

A phone lockbox with a timer (the kind sold for snacks and phones) literally locks your phone away for however long you set. It's the most extreme option, and great for revision (UK) or studying (US) before exams. Downside: no emergency exit, so keep a way to be reached.

Other NFC blocker tags

A few companies sell NFC keychains or cards that work like Brick, sometimes cheaper. Compare the one-time cost, whether there's a subscription, and whether the app works on your phone before buying.

The free physical option

A drawer in another room. Seriously. Charging your phone outside your bedroom does the same job as a Brick for your worst scroll hour. Our guide to keeping your phone out of the bedroom walks through the alarm and charger setup.

App-only alternatives

If you don't want anything physical, these are the common Brick app blocker alternatives:

Cheaper alternative to Brick for your laptop

People searching "cheaper alternative to brick extension" usually want to block sites on a laptop. Free browser blockers like LeechBlock or StayFocusd (on supported browsers) cover YouTube, Reddit and X during study hours. Set them up once and schedule them around your lectures or classes.

Which Brick alternative to pick

Match the tool to the way you cheat:

• You cheat by turning off apps: go physical. DIY NFC tag or a lockbox.
• You open apps on autopilot but stop when you notice: One Sec or ClearSpace.
• You need fixed focus hours for school or work: Opal or built-in Downtime.
• You're broke: phone in another room plus Screen Time with a friend holding the passcode. Total cost: zero.

A 3-day test before you buy anything

1. Day 1: put the phone in another room for one study or work block.
2. Day 2: set up a DIY NFC tag (or just a drawer).
3. Day 3: notice which moment you broke. That tells you which tool you actually need.

Find the Brick-shaped hole in your habit

In the next few minutes you can tap through 17 questions about what you actually do when you pick up your phone and get a score from 0 to 100, plus how you compare with everyone else. Each day's two-minute drill ends with a real-world action, like putting your phone in another room for 10 minutes, which is basically a Brick without buying one.

Check my brainrot

FAQ

Can you use the Brick app without a Brick?

The Brick app is designed to pair with the physical Brick device, so it isn't meant to be used alone. The easiest free workaround is an NFC sticker that triggers a Focus mode on iPhone or Android.

How much does the Brick app cost?

The Brick app itself comes with the device, which is a one-time purchase. Check Brick's official site for the current price, since it can change with sales and bundles.

What is the best free Brick app alternative?

A DIY NFC tag with iPhone Shortcuts or an Android automation app is the closest free copy. If you want zero setup, putting your phone in another room during focus time does the same job.

Is there a Brick alternative for Android?

Yes. Android's Digital Wellbeing Focus mode can pause apps, and an NFC automation app can switch it on with one tap on a sticker. Many app-only blockers also work on Android.

Does Brick actually work for phone addiction?

It works well for people who keep switching off software blockers, because unlocking takes real effort. It doesn't fix why you reach for your phone, so pair it with other habits. For anything that feels clinical, talk to a doctor or counselor.