For many years, I’ve imposed screen time restrictions on my iPhone, permitting just 30 minutes for social media daily. How frequently have I ignored the limit notification and kept scrolling through unproductive Reels? The answer would astound me.

It turns out that all I needed was a $59 chunk of grey plastic (though self-discipline would have been cheaper, it was unavailable). The Brick — a compact, magnet-equipped device — has achieved what no screen time app ever could. It effectively reduced my phone usage and enhanced my sleep routines.

Unlike your typical screen time app, Brick elevates the experience into the tangible realm. This gadget is a branded, NFC-enabled square that allows you to deactivate your custom screen time limits only if you tap your phone against the Brick, just like making a transaction at a tap-to-pay point. Evidently, if I must physically rise and tap my phone on the Brick to access Instagram, I won’t do it.

“Brick emerged from a personal need: our phones were interfering with our lives,” co-founder Zach Nasgowitz explained to TechCrunch via email. “We looked for answers to this issue in our lives, but nothing seemed quite right, so we decided to create something ourselves to tackle this challenge.”

I employed Brick to enhance my sleep habits, and I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that it has surpassed my expectations.

Like many millennials — particularly those of us with online-dependent careers — I tend to crawl into bed at night and absentmindedly scroll my phone, complicating my ability to fall asleep. To make matters worse, I sometimes stay in bed on my phone after waking up, beginning the day with a foggy mind.

I set up a “Sleep” mode on the Brick app, activating each night at 10:30. Consequently, my phone automatically restricts all apps except for messaging (I want to stay reachable, just in case) and audio apps (I occasionally listen to podcasts or audiobooks as I drift off). When I awaken, I cannot spend time on my phone without getting out of bed, heading downstairs, and tapping my phone on the Brick. (If you prefer to keep your phone entirely out of your bedroom but wish to utilize podcasts for sleep, I recommend the Dreamie alarm clock.)

It’s tough to acknowledge that I required a $59 piece of plastic to initiate a lifestyle change, but without the Brick, reverting to old patterns would be too effortless. I have been trialing a Brick unit provided by the company for review, and it’s proven so effective that I plan to purchase one to continue its use (we return or donate our review devices for ethical reasons). If motivated, it’s even possible to create a DIY solution similar to Brick using an NFC tag and Apple Shortcuts.

“Software-only solutions like Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing are simple to bypass, and what truly works is introducing some friction,” Brick co-founder TJ Driver expressed to TechCrunch via email. “This enables physical technology to enter the scene and create genuine separation that software prompts cannot replicate. By requiring you to go back to the device physically to unblock your apps, the choice to reconnect transforms into a deliberate decision instead of a subconscious reaction.”

Users receive a limited amount of “emergency unbricks” in case your phone becomes locked and you absolutely need to access a specific app, such as Google Maps or Uber, to return home safely. However, I find it simpler to include those apps in my sleep mode for those rare instances when I’m out late, thereby conserving an emergency unbrick. Knowing that I can access the Uber app doesn’t disrupt my sleep. I don’t doomscroll on Uber.

“Instead of persistently depending on willpower, it can be more effective to design your environment to minimize the strain on your willpower or brain,” Driver stated. “Devices like Brick assist individuals in deciding how they want their phone to optimally serve them for a specific moment or task, and then tailor their digital surroundings so that they no longer have to think about it.”

This focus on personalization and autonomy has made the product effective for numerous customers.

“One user had been wishing for a dumb phone for years but couldn’t let go of his primary messaging app, KakaoTalk, for staying in touch with his wife and friends in Korea,” Nasgowitz noted. “He reported that, ‘Brick has transformed my phone into what I’ve always desired – a phone that can text, call, take some photos, and use Kakao. It’s just right.’”

Interest in transitioning to “dumb phones” is rising as people grow increasingly disenchanted with Big Tech. However, flip phones are unsuitable for our current lifestyles, where we rely on our phones for tasks like scanning tickets for events, making payments for public transport, and fulfilling job responsibilities that require specific two-factor authentication applications. (Some companies, like Dumb.Co and Commodore, are attempting to address this by modifying flip phones to support apps like authentication tools and WhatsApp, or by inventing entirely new hardware.)

If you’re hesitant to embrace a more drastic shift, such as switching to a flip phone, the Brick serves as a middle ground — it’s effective, but it’s not as severe an adjustment. You can customize your phone to be as “dumb” as you wish, whenever you desire.

“When you take a broader view of the screen time movement as a whole, it’s not about rejecting technology,” Driver remarked. “It’s about regaining control and being intentional again.”