Brick Night blocks selected apps automatically when users enter a room
Brick has launched Brick Night, a $129 device that automatically blocks selected phone apps when users enter a chosen room, aiming to reduce bedtime doomscrolling. Its Bluetooth-based trigger removes the need to tap a phone against the device, so blocking can start without adding a step to a bedtime routine.
The original Brick costs $59 and requires a tap, while Brick Night uses two CR2477 batteries and supports a location zone of up to 25 by 25 feet. Multiple users can set their own blocked apps, modes, schedules and spaces. However, Brick Night costs more than twice as much as the original and lacks NFC, so it cannot also provide tap-based blocking.
In short
- Brick Night blocks selected apps automatically in a chosen room.
- It supports individual settings for multiple users.
- At $129, it costs more and lacks the original’s tap function.
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The case for
Brick Night could help people who want to curb bedtime scrolling by making app blocking automatic, removing the need to remember or choose to tap a device when they enter their room. Its support for multiple users and personalised schedules may also make it useful for households trying to establish shared routines while keeping individual settings.
The case against
At $129, Brick Night costs more than twice as much as the original Brick, which may be hard to justify for a single-purpose device when the original already offers app blocking. Its Bluetooth room trigger may suit some routines, but the lack of NFC means users cannot also use tap-based blocking, and the device may add little for people who can manage the same habit through existing settings or other methods.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Brick’s new app blocker is designed for bedtime doomscrolling”.