Brick

Your Phone, Minus The Distractions

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Your Phone, Minus The Distractions

109 followers

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Time tracking apps

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Activity tracking

A device that temporarily removes distracting apps (and their notifications) from your phone - leaving only the powerful tools you choose. Now you don’t have to take the distractions with you everywhere - leave them behind with the Brick, and engage with more.

The Best Brick Alternatives

The best Brick alternatives are Unpluq, Focus Bear, Barrier: The FREE screen time focus app, clearspace, and Zario Screen Time AI.

Unpluq

5.0 ·

Choose Unpluq if...

✓you want an NFC key you must tap
✓you need trusted-person accountability with codes
✓you prefer a harder-to-ignore unlock ritual

See details ↓

Focus Bear

4.2 ·

Choose Focus Bear if...

✓you need routines and prompts for ADHD focus
✓your biggest distractions are on desktop web
✓you want breaks and structure built in

See details ↓

Barrier: The FREE screen time focus app

5.0 ·

Choose Barrier: The FREE screen time focus app if...

✓you want a free blocker with no hardware
✓you like time-boxed sessions for social apps
✓you want simple delay-based unlocking on Apple

See details ↓

clearspace

4.8 ·

Choose clearspace if...

✓you want friction tasks at app open
✓you prefer gentle nudges over hard blocks
✓you want set-and-forget simplicity without hardware

See details ↓

Zario Screen Time AI

5.0 ·

Choose Zario Screen Time AI if...

✓you want an AI coach, not just blocking
✓you stay motivated by daily challenges
✓you want accountability features baked into the app

See details ↓

What to Consider

Brick has become a standout in digital wellbeing for its simple, phone-first “tap-to-toggle” ritual that adds real-world friction to distracting apps. The alternatives landscape spans everything from similar hardware-backed locks like Unpluq (with options for trusted-person accountability) to “in-the-moment” friction apps like clearspace that interrupt impulses with small tasks, plus more all-in-one systems like Focus Bear that pair blocking with ADHD-friendly routines across desktop and mobile. On the lighter, budget end, Barrier takes a free, software-only approach with time-boxed sessions and unlock delays, while Zario leans into AI coaching, challenges, and accountability for users who want guidance rather than hard locks.

In evaluating options, we looked at how each tool creates friction (physical keys vs delays vs tasks), how easy it is to bypass, device and platform coverage, setup and day-to-day usability, reliability and support, and how pricing/subscription models affect access. We also weighed ecosystem constraints (especially iOS limitations), plus whether features like routines, website blocking, and accountability mechanisms meaningfully change behavior beyond simply “turning apps off.”

Unpluq

Off Your Screen, Into Your Life.

5.0 · 22 reviews

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Physical friction is the whole point of Unpluq: it adds an NFC fob/tag step before distracting apps can open, which makes impulse checks harder to do “on autopilot” than a purely on-screen toggle. Compared with Brick’s tap-to-toggle ritual, Unpluq leans into the same category of real-world interruption, but with an identity-like “key” concept that can be kept away from the phone.

Where Unpluq can go further is accountability. The fob and optional codes can be handed to a trusted person, turning app access into a deliberate decision instead of something that can be re-enabled the moment willpower dips.

It also offers a different flavor of friction with pattern-based unlocking, which can feel more like a deliberate unlock process than a single tap. The trade-off is that some platform constraints, especially on iOS, can limit how broadly and deeply it can block apps compared to what people might expect from a hardware-backed solution.

For anyone who wants a “dumb phone” feel while keeping smartphone utility, Unpluq is a strong alternative that prioritizes a consistent pause before distraction.

Best for

Best for people who need a hard-to-ignore physical barrier and optional external accountability to stop compulsive app checking.

Standout features

✓NFC fob/tag unlock requirement
✓Trusted-person codes and accountability
✓Pattern-based unlocking friction
✓Designed to reduce impulse app opens

Focus Bear

Block Distractions. Build Habits. For ADHDers by ADHDers.

4.2 · 17 reviews

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Focus Bear is built less like a lock and more like a daily structure system, combining distraction blocking with routines, prompts, and breaks that guide attention throughout the day. While Brick focuses on a simple phone ritual, Focus Bear shines when the real problem spans both mobile and desktop, especially web-based distractions during work or study.

Its routine engine is the differentiator: it helps anchor mornings, deep-work sessions, and recovery breaks so the day isn’t just “blocked” but actively shaped. That makes it particularly compelling for ADHD and executive-function challenges where cues and structure matter as much as restrictions.

Focus Bear also targets practical failure modes that blockers often miss, like ignored notifications and missed meetings, by strengthening reminder behavior and reducing the drift that leads to lateness. The main trade-off is complexity: it can take time to set up and tune routines so they match a real schedule, and the experience depends on the system running reliably across devices.

If Brick feels too narrow or phone-only, Focus Bear is the alternative for people who want a more comprehensive behavior system rather than a single unlock moment.

Best for

Ideal for ADHD-minded users and knowledge workers who need cross-device blocking plus routines and break scaffolding.

Standout features

✓Cross-device blocking on desktop and mobile
✓Custom routines with guided prompts
✓Break scheduling to reduce burnout
✓Website blocking for focused browsing
✓Meeting and reminder reinforcement

Barrier: The FREE screen time focus app

Stop doomscrolling by blocking your addictive apps!

5.0 · 1 review

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Barrier takes a lightweight, software-only approach: it reduces social media use by time-boxing sessions and adding a short delay before you can unlock again. That makes it a practical alternative to Brick when carrying or tapping hardware feels like too much overhead.

Instead of “fully bricking” and “unbricking,” Barrier nudges behavior with small constraints that add up—short usage windows, a forced pause, then back to what you intended to do. For many people, that’s enough friction to break the reflex without making access feel impossible.

Barrier is also appealing if budget is a deciding factor, since it delivers the core idea of interruption without requiring a device purchase. The trade-off is that purely software-based friction can be easier to bypass than a physical ritual, so it tends to fit users who respond well to time limits and gentle delays rather than hard gates.

For Apple users who want something simple and free, Barrier is a clean alternative that focuses on session control over hardware enforcement.

Best for

Best for Apple users who want a free, simple, time-boxing approach to social app use.

Standout features

✓Session-based limits for social apps
✓Unlock delay to interrupt impulses
✓No extra hardware required
✓Runs across Apple platforms

clearspace

make your phone less addicting

4.8 · 15 reviews

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clearspace puts the friction exactly where the impulse happens: when a distracting app is opened, it can require a small task or pause that forces a moment of intention. Compared with Brick’s separate tap-to-toggle ritual, this “at the door” intervention works even when the phone is already in hand and the habit is pure muscle memory.

The experience is designed to feel more like a gentle nudge than a punishment. That makes it a strong alternative for people who still want access to social apps, just with a built-in speed bump that reduces mindless scrolling.

It also fits users who want minimal ongoing management, since the core value comes from setting the gate once and letting it do its job. The trade-off is that the friction can be annoying by design, and setup or free-tier constraints may feel restrictive depending on how many apps someone wants to cover.

For anyone who doesn’t want hardware but still needs behavior interruption, clearspace offers a creative, immediate way to turn “open app” into “make a choice.”

Best for

Best for people who want gentle, in-the-moment friction without carrying a physical device.

Standout features

✓Friction tasks before opening chosen apps
✓Impulse-breaking pause at app launch
✓Light-touch, non-punitive UX
✓Low-maintenance “set and forget” setup
✓Founder contact and bug reporting tools

Zario Screen Time AI

Take action against distraction

5.0 · 6 reviews

Learn more →

Zario Screen Time AI approaches digital wellbeing like coaching, layering psychologically informed interventions and guidance on top of simple reduction tactics. If Brick is primarily about a physical unlock moment, Zario is better suited to people who want motivation, structure, and reflection built into the app experience.

A key differentiator is its challenge-driven format: daily optional challenges can replace vague “use less” goals with concrete actions that disrupt doomscrolling patterns. That can feel more sustainable for users who struggle with willpower-only blockers and need an active program rather than a gate.

Zario also emphasizes milestone-based progress, which turns behavior change into a sequence of achievable steps instead of an all-or-nothing switch. With accountability features in the mix, it can create social or personal commitment without requiring any external hardware.

For users who respond to coaching and progression more than pure restriction, Zario is a strong alternative that trades physical friction for guided behavior change.