Offline.now editorial, reviewed by Eli Singer. Reviewed November 12, 2026.
“Just five minutes, then I’m done.” That line decides between Brick and Bloom. Bloom lets you take the five minutes on a timer, then locks the apps again. Brick has no timer. The apps stay locked until you walk back to the block and tap it. Both are small NFC devices that cost less than a dinner out. Both work on iPhone and Android, and neither charges a subscription. The right one depends on what usually happens after you say that line.
The Offline.now Matrix is a self-reflection framework that maps your motivation to change your phone habits against your confidence that you can, and sorts the result into four types, each with its own starting place. If you have bought a tool before and found your way around it within a week, you may be Overwhelmed. Overwhelmed means high motivation and low confidence, so you genuinely want to change, and what you’ve tried hasn’t stuck. A blocker helps because it moves the decision out of the moment. Lasting change runs on confidence, not willpower.
Offline.now is a directory of therapists and coaches who work on screen and phone use, and the home of the Offline.now Matrix, a two-question self-reflection framework that finds your starting place. This comparison uses the makers’ published features and prices. Offline.now has not tested either device, has no paid relationship with Brick LLC or Find Your Bloom LLC, and uses no affiliate links.
Brick vs Bloom: what is the short answer?
Choose Brick if you want no way out. Choose Bloom if you need a pressure valve. The rest of the table is detail.
| Brick | Bloom Card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A small magnetic block with an NFC chip | A stainless steel card with an NFC chip |
| Price | US$59 list; C$85 on the Canadian store | US$39 for one card; two for $59, three for $75; a Pod base for $59 |
| Starting and ending a session | Tap the phone to the block to lock, and again to end. You can lock from the app, and ending needs the block | Tap the card to lock or end, or start a session in the app without the card |
| Breaks during a session | None | Yes, with length and frequency set by you |
| Emergency exits | Five per device, each ending every block at once; more by emailing support | Three, plus one more each month |
| Schedules | Up to ten custom modes | Sessions that start and end on a schedule |
| Strict mode | Yes; stops you deleting the app or changing settings mid-session | Yes, optional; stops you deleting apps mid-session |
| A child’s phone | No dedicated child mode | Child Mode: only a parent’s card can change settings |
| Phones | iOS 18 or later, Android 12 or later | iPhone and Android; iOS 17.6 or later per the App Store |
| Websites | Selected Safari sites on iOS; any app except Phone | Common sites built in; on iOS, blocking an app also blocks its website |
| Subscription | None | None |
| HSA/FSA eligible | Yes, through Truemed | Yes |
| Money back | 30 days | 30 days |
Specs and prices are the makers’ own, read on getbrick.com and bloom.inc on November 5, 2026. Features change through app updates, so check the maker’s page on the day you buy.
How does Brick work, and where is it strict?
Brick is a block about the size of a matchbox. It sticks to a fridge or sits on a shelf. In the app you set up modes, each with its own list of blocked apps and sites. Tap the phone to the block and the session starts. The apps stay locked until you come back and tap again. You can also start a session by holding the on-screen Brick for five seconds, which helps on a train. Ending one that way is not possible.
The strictness is the product. There is no break timer. Each device comes with five Emergency Unbricks that open everything at once. When they run out, you email support for more. Strict Mode stops you deleting the app or changing its settings during a session. Brick works through Apple’s Screen Time framework on iPhone and the accessibility service on Android, which is why it needs iOS 18 or Android 12. The company also sells Brick Night, a Bluetooth version that locks chosen apps when you get into bed. It is C$189 on the Canadian store.
The weak point is placement. A block beside your keyboard takes two seconds to tap, so put it in another room.
How does Bloom work, and where does it bend?
Bloom is a steel card the size of a credit card, built to live in a wallet or a drawer. The basics match Brick: pick the apps and sites, tap the card to lock, and tap again to open them. The difference is everything Bloom adds around the session. Breaks let you set how often, and for how long, you can step back into a blocked app before it closes. Schedules start and end sessions on their own. You get three emergency exits, plus one more each month. Strict Mode is off by default, and without it, deleting Bloom unblocks everything.
Bloom also has the family feature Brick lacks. In Child Mode, only a parent’s card can change the settings on a child’s phone. App deletion is blocked, the emergency exits are off and the schedule is locked. The maker compares it to a car key. On privacy, Bloom says it cannot see your screen time history or which apps you block. It sees your total focus time and whether a session is running, and you can revoke that and delete your data in settings.
The weak point is the flexibility. Set the breaks generously and you can take one after another until the block means little. Brick was built for the person who knows they would.
Which one fits the moment you usually give in?
Pick by the slip, and treat the spec sheet as a tiebreaker. Three moments cover most people.
The late-night slip. You lock the phone at 10 p.m. At 11:40 you want ten minutes of anything. If ten minutes tends to become an hour, Brick left in the kitchen fits, because the walk is the point. If you take the ten minutes and stop, Bloom’s timed break is kinder.
The work call you cannot miss. You block everything for a focus session, and a client messages on WhatsApp. Bloom’s break lets you answer, then locks the apps again. With Brick, build a work mode that leaves WhatsApp open and blocks the rest. That setup suits anyone whose job runs through a messaging app. Either way, set it up before the first call.
The family phone. You want a kid’s apps locked after dinner without a nightly argument. Bloom’s Child Mode is the only purpose-built option here. Brick has no child mode, and its emergency exits stay with whoever holds the phone.
If you keep losing the argument with yourself, the store is the second stop. The two questions at offline.now/start take a minute and give you a first step that fits where you are, with or without a gadget.
What are the Brick alternatives: Unpluq, Opal and a timed lock box?
Unpluq is a small NFC tag on a keyring with the same tap-to-lock idea. Its app carries a subscription, and a Block Uninstall setting does the job of Strict Mode. Opal is software only: an iPhone app with scheduled focus sessions and a Deep Focus level that cannot be canceled mid-session, sold monthly or yearly. A timed lock box is the blunt option. The phone goes in a plastic box and comes out when the timer on the lid says so. It suits someone who wants the phone gone for a set time, and it rules out calls.
The tag and the card keep the phone usable for calls and texts. The box removes the phone. The app keeps the phone in your pocket and relies on software to hold the line. Our best app blockers compared puts Opal, one sec, Brick, Cold Turkey, ScreenZen and Forest side by side. Before you buy any of them, read whether screen time apps help at all.
What does the research say about adding friction?
Two studies come close, and neither tested Brick or Bloom.
The first tested a pause. Grüning, Riedel and Lorenz-Spreen (2023) ran a six-week field study with 280 people. A short interruption before a chosen app opened cut opens of that app by 57%. In a follow-up experiment with 500 people, the option to dismiss the attempt did most of the work, with the delay second. One caveat: the app’s developer is a co-author.
The second tested a wall. In a preregistered randomized trial of 467 adults, Castelo and colleagues (2025) blocked mobile internet on participants’ phones for two weeks. Calls and texts still worked. Daily screen time fell from 314 minutes to 161, and 91% of participants improved on at least one measure of attention, mental health or well-being. Two weeks after the block ended, use was back up to 265 minutes.
A pause interrupts the reach. A wall changes the setup for as long as it stands, and in the Castelo trial the numbers drifted back once it came down. Brick is a wall. Bloom is a wall with a door you control. Whichever you buy, it does its job only while it stays out of reach.
Which should you buy?
The one that matches how you lose time. If you need a valve and buy Brick, the emergency exits will go fast. If you need a wall and buy Bloom, the breaks can fill the evening. Either mismatch is fixable, and neither says anything about your character. If you want a different way to change your screen habits, one with no shame and no judgment, Offline.now was built for you.
Start with the two questions at offline.now/start. They take about a minute and sort you into one of four types, each with its own starting place. The Find Your Starting Place worksheet does the same thing on paper: one page, free to download, no email required. After the quiz, the Offline.now Program is the next step. Use it on the web and by email, with no download. There is no streak to lose and no password to remember.
If the slips feel bigger than a device can hold, the Offline.now directory lists coaches who work on screen time and time limits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brick worth it?
It is worth it if you want the strictest option and no subscription. At US$59, the cost is one-time. It is a poor fit if your work needs quick, frequent access to a blocked app, or if the phone belongs to a child.
Can you get around Brick or Bloom?
Yes, with effort. Without Strict Mode, deleting the app undoes either one. Both have emergency exits, and both depend on the device staying out of reach. Generous breaks are Bloom’s easiest loophole. A block on your desk is Brick’s.
Does Brick work on Android?
Yes, on Android 12 or later, through the accessibility service. Bloom also runs on Android. Check the maker pages for current requirements.
Brick vs Bloom for a teenager?
Bloom, because of Child Mode. A parent’s card is the only key, deletion is blocked, the exits are off and the schedule is locked. Brick works on a teen’s phone, though its emergency exits stay with whoever holds it.
Is there a subscription for Brick or Bloom?
No. Both are one-time purchases, and the apps are included. Unpluq and Opal, two common alternatives, charge for their apps.
Where do I start?
With the moment you usually give in, before any purchase. A one-minute check at offline.now/start sorts you into one of four types, each with a first step. The Find Your Starting Place worksheet does the same thing on paper, free to download, no email required.
Offline.now provides coaching-oriented guidance, not diagnosis or medical advice. If digital habits are creating significant distress, working with a qualified practitioner is a strong next step. The Offline.now expert directory is a good place to start.
Curious about the data?
Grüning, D. J., Riedel, F., and Lorenz-Spreen, P. (2023). Directing smartphone use through the self-nudge app one sec. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(8), e2213114120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2213114120
Castelo, N., Kushlev, K., Ward, A. F., Esterman, M., and Reiner, P. B. (2025). Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus, 4(2), pgaf017. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf017
Product features and prices: getbrick.com (product page and FAQ) and bloom.inc (shop page and FAQ), read November 5, 2026; Bloom prices re-read November 9, 2026. Brick’s US list price of $59 as reported by ABC News, August 24, 2026: abcnews.com
