Apps Like Brick: How to Lock Your iPhone Without Buying Hardware

Short answer: you don't need a physical device to get the "I can't just unlock it" feeling. On iPhone, the apps that come closest are Foqos (free, open source, sessions you start manually or with a timer), unhookd (distracting apps blocked by default, 24/7, with scheduled access), Opal (Hard Mode), one sec (a forced pause before each open), ScreenZen (free friction and limits), and Apple's own Downtime with Block at Downtime turned on.

All of them use Apple's Screen Time API — the same plumbing Brick's iPhone app uses. What separates them isn't the blocking technology. It's how hard each one makes it to undo the decision you already made.

I'm George, I built unhookd, and yes — unhookd is one of the options below. It gets one section like everything else, and I'll tell you plainly who it isn't for.

Quick comparison

What does Brick actually do?

Brick is a small physical device you tap your phone against. You pick the apps and modes in the Brick app, tap the phone to the device to start a session, and those apps disappear until you tap the device again. Per Brick's site at the time of writing, it costs $59, it's battery-free, it works with iPhones on iOS 17 or later and Android 12 or later, there's a 30-day money-back guarantee, Strict Mode is meant to stop you deleting the app to escape, and the app includes five "Emergency Unbricks" for when the device isn't in reach.

Credit where it's due: the idea is clever and honest about its own premise. Brick's pitch is that with software, "the 'key' that re-enables distractions is always within reach." That's true. You leave the Brick on your kitchen counter, walk out the door, and the escape hatch is physically 4km away.

So why are so many people typing "apps like brick but free" into Google? Three reasons I see over and over in the search data and on Reddit: the price, the fact that you have to remember to carry it (or deliberately not carry it), and the sinking feeling of leaving it at home when you actually needed to unlock something.

If you want the full breakdown of the device itself, I wrote one here: Brick Phone Blocker Review 2026.

Can software really replace it?

Partly. Here's the honest version.

What software can copy: the session model, the lockout, a delay before you can get back in, and — this is the big one — a default that isn't "everything open."

What software can't copy: physical distance. If the undo button lives on the same device as the temptation, it's always three taps away. Anyone who tells you their app is an unbreakable prison on iOS is selling you something.

What software does better than hardware: it's never left on the kitchen counter, it costs nothing to try, and it can enforce a schedule rather than a session you have to remember to start. A device only works when you remember to tap it. That's the gap every app below is trying to close in a different way.

Foqos: the free, open-source one people call a "Brick dupe"

Foqos is the name that comes up first in almost every Reddit thread on this topic. It's a free, open-source iPhone app that blocks apps and websites through Apple's Screen Time APIs. Per the developer's site: no account, no ads, no subscription, no in-app purchases, no tracking, and your data stays on the phone.

The part people miss: you don't need a tag to use it. Foqos lets you start and end a session manually, with a flexible timer you set yourself, with a printed QR code, or with an NFC tag. A QR code taped inside a kitchen cupboard costs you nothing and one sheet of paper. A timer costs you less than that.

Pros: genuinely free, open source so you can read the code, multiple ways to start a session, smart breaks so you can pause without ending the whole session.

Cons: it's session-based, which means you have to start it. Nothing is blocked at 7:14am when you reach for the phone half-asleep unless you set that up. It's iPhone only. And it's maintained largely by one person — worth knowing if you need enterprise-grade support (the developer also warns about impersonator accounts asking for donations, so only trust links on foqos.app, the App Store listing, or the GitHub project).

Best for: anyone whose first instinct was "I want a Brick but free." Start here.

unhookd: blocked by default, 24/7 — no session to start

This is the one I built, so read this section with that in mind.

unhookd inverts the model instead of copying it. Every other approach on this page — including Brick — starts from apps are available, now go block them. unhookd starts from the opposite end: the distracting apps you choose are blocked by default, 24/7, from the moment you finish setup. There is no session to remember, because there's no unblocked state to return to.

You get access two ways:

• Slots — recurring windows you schedule in advance. YouTube on weekdays 6–7pm. Instagram on Saturday mornings. Outside those windows, it's locked.
• Peeks — temporary access when something comes up outside a Slot. Pick a duration (2, 5, 10 or 20 minutes), give a reason, and you're locked out again when the time's up. Earn your Peek adds a short pause, a breathing exercise or a gratitude check before the app opens.

Insights show when and why you Peek, and your Unhookd Score is the share of your day spent outside scheduled Slots.

Pros: nothing to carry, nothing to remember, nothing to start. The friction lands at the moment you reach for the app, not at the moment you decided to be disciplined. Free to download, and it uses Apple's Screen Time API, so usage data stays on your device.

Cons: iPhone and iPad only — no Android, no desktop. Scheduling Slots takes a few minutes of thought up front, which is more effort than tapping a puck. And I'll be straight with you: unhookd is designed to add deliberate friction, not to be unbreakable. Peeks exist on purpose. If what you want is a system with no way out at all, Opal's Hard Mode is closer to that than we are.

Best for: people who don't want a session-based ritual, and who'd rather decide once — at a calm moment — when their apps are open.

Opal: does Hard Mode really mean no way out?

Opal is the most polished, most analytics-heavy option in this list. At the time of writing, its pricing page lists a free plan limited to 1 Rule, and Pro at $99.99 billed annually, $19.99 monthly, or $399 as a one-time lifetime payment. Students can apply for up to 50% off.

The feature that matters for this comparison is Hard Mode, which Opal describes on its own pricing page as "No way out. You can't turn Opal off." That's the closest software equivalent to walking away from a physical device: once a Hard Mode session is running, the exit isn't available to you.

Pros: Hard Mode is strict in a way most apps aren't. Opal Score with history, unlimited rules, "Allow Only" mode, and it works on iOS, Android and Mac — the only cross-platform option here that's genuinely strict.

Cons: Hard Mode is behind Pro, and Pro is the most expensive subscription in this category. If you're comparing against a one-off $59 device, a year of Opal costs more. I broke the numbers down in Opal Pricing in 2026: Is $99/Year Worth It?.

Best for: people who want maximum strictness plus data, and who use more than one device.

one sec: a pause instead of a lock

one sec takes the opposite bet. Instead of making an app unavailable, it interrupts the moment you open it — a deep breath, a rotation of the phone, typing random text — before letting you through. Its site lists peer-reviewed research with the Max Planck Institute and Heidelberg University behind the approach, and states that the essentials are free with a paid upgrade.

It also does straight blocking and scheduled blocks if you want them, plus a browser extension for Windows, macOS and Linux — useful, because the laptop is where most phone blockers quietly fail.

Pros: research-backed, free to start, cross-device, and the friction targets the actual problem — the unconscious open. There's also a "doomscroll emergency brake" style time limit for your worst apps.

Cons: a pause is not a lock. If you're the kind of person who breathes deeply and then opens Instagram anyway, this won't give you the hard stop you were shopping for when you started looking at a device.

Best for: people who want to interrupt the reflex, not remove the app.

ScreenZen: free friction with a lot of dials

ScreenZen describes itself as the only donation-supported screen time app that blocks distracting apps and websites. Free, no subscription. You get pause screens before opening an app, daily limits, cooldowns between opens, different rules for different days, and website blocking.

Pros: free, extremely customisable, and it's been around long enough to have a large user base on both iPhone and Android.

Cons: the flexibility cuts both ways — more dials means more ways to quietly loosen your own rules on a bad Tuesday. It's friction-first rather than lock-first. More on the trade-offs in Best Free App Blockers for iPhone.

Best for: people who want to pay nothing and tune everything.

How do I lock apps without Brick using only iPhone settings?

Before you install anything, try this. It's free and it takes two minutes.

1. Open Settings → Screen Time.
2. Tap Downtime, turn it on, and set a schedule (or pick Turn On Downtime Until Tomorrow).
3. Turn on Block at Downtime. Per Apple's own user guide, when this is on, restricted apps can't be opened during downtime — they appear dimmed with an hourglass icon.
4. Use App Limits to cap specific apps or categories.
5. Set a Screen Time passcode under Lock Screen Time Settings. Without it, Block at Downtime isn't really enforced — and the passcode is what stops you flipping the switch back in four seconds.

Pros: free, built in, nothing to install, no third party gets access to anything.

Cons: you know your own passcode. That's the whole problem with Apple's version, and it's why "Ignore Limit" is one of the most searched phrases in this entire category. I wrote about why it keeps failing here: iPhone Screen Time Limits Not Working?

Best for: testing whether a schedule-based approach suits you before you pay for anything.

So which one should you actually pick?

• You want the free Brick-shaped thing: Foqos.
• You don't want to remember to start a session: unhookd.
• You want to be truly unable to turn it off, and you'll pay for it: Opal's Hard Mode.
• You don't want to lock apps, just interrupt yourself: one sec or ScreenZen.
• You want to spend nothing and change nothing: Apple's Downtime with Block at Downtime and a passcode you write down and put in a drawer.

One thing I'd say after years of trying to fix this for myself: I deleted Instagram for a year once, and it worked perfectly and taught me almost nothing. Removal isn't control. The thing that actually changed how I use my phone wasn't a stricter lock — it was deciding in advance when the apps would be open, so the decision wasn't being made by a tired version of me at 11pm.

Whatever you pick, the deciding question is the same one Brick asks: where does the key live? With a device, it lives across the room. With software, it lives in how deliberately you set it up. If you want the strictest software options ranked by how hard they are to get around, I put that list together here: The Strictest App Blockers for iPhone.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Brick?

Yes. Foqos is free and open source with no subscription and no in-app purchases, and it uses timers, QR codes or manual sessions if you don't want any hardware. ScreenZen is free and donation-supported, one sec has a free tier, unhookd has a free plan, and Apple's Downtime costs nothing at all.

Do apps like Brick work without the NFC tag?

Yes. Every app in this guide blocks through Apple's Screen Time API, which doesn't need any accessory. Foqos can start sessions with a timer or a printed QR code, Opal and unhookd run on schedules, and one sec and ScreenZen trigger on the app open itself.

Can I bypass these apps by just deleting them?

On iOS, deleting the blocker is the universal escape hatch unless the app specifically defends against it — Brick's Strict Mode and Opal's Hard Mode are built for exactly that. Most friction-based apps, including unhookd, are designed to make you pause and choose rather than to be impossible to remove. If "impossible" is your requirement, weigh Opal's Hard Mode.

How much does unhookd cost?

unhookd is free to download, and the free plan covers blocking up to 3 apps, 2 Slots, and 5 Peeks per day. Pro removes those limits at $2.99 monthly or $19.99 annually — check the App Store for current pricing, since it changes.

Are any of these available on Android?

Opal, one sec and ScreenZen offer Android versions. Foqos and unhookd are iPhone only, because both are built on Apple's Screen Time framework. If you're on Android, Opal is the strictest of the three.

Is a $59 device better than a free app?

It depends on whether your failure mode is access or memory. A device beats software on physical separation, but only when you actually leave it behind; a scheduled app beats a device on the mornings you forget the ritual entirely. Most people should try the free software route for two weeks before spending anything — you'll learn which of the two problems you actually have.