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This pocket-sized gadget helped cut down our editor's screen time - and it's on sale
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Save up to 25%: During Brick's back-to-school sale, you can save up to 25% off on Brick bundles. Get one Brick for $50 (15% off), two for $94 (20% off), and three for $133 (25% off).
Stuck doom-scrolling? There's a tool to help with that, whether you need to focus more on work or school, or just want to take back some of your time. Right now, the Brick, our editor's favorite device to help manage screen time, is on sale for up to 25% off.
Also: Bloom Card vs. Brick: My verdict after trying both gadgets to cut screen time
The Brick device is a magnetic square with a compatible app. Upon downloading the app, you select the apps you want to disable once your phone is bricked. Brick uses NFC to enable or disable app use. Tapping your phone on the brick, or "bricking," prevents these apps from running until the phone is tapped again and "unbricked."
Also: I bricked my iPhone to prevent doomscrolling - how life has been after six months of use
You can set up schedules to block apps at specific times of day and modes to block certain types of apps. Brick gives you five free "unbricks" you can use in an emergency, when you aren't near the physical Brick.
During her testing, ZDNET health and wearables editor Nina Raemont reduced her screen time by 7% in just the first week of use. Raemont still swears by the Brick for more focused work, even after months of use.
"As someone who tests products for a living, there are many devices I have tested and forgotten about. Not Brick. I began using it in November and, to this very day, have continued to do so. It's simple but effective at dimming distractions and doing so with the physical tap of the device. It helps me work undisturbed and wind down at the end of the night, so I can actually read more and scroll less before bed," Raemont says.
How I rated this deal
Since the Brick rarely sees sale prices, we've given this deal a 4/5 Editor's deal rating.
When will this deal expire?
Deals are subject to sell out or expire anytime, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Since this is a back-to-school offer, it's likely that it won't last much longer. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.
How do we rate deals at ZDNET?
We aim to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. ZDNET offers 33 years of experience, 30 hands-on product reviewers, and 10,000 square feet of lab space to ensure we bring you the best of tech.
In 2025, we refined our approach to deals, developing a measurable system for sharing savings with readers like you. Our editor's deal rating badges are affixed to most of our deal content, making it easy to interpret our expertise to help you make the best purchase decision.
At the core of this approach is a percentage-off system to classify savings on top-tech products, combined with a sliding-scale system based on our team members' expertise and several factors, such as frequency, brand, and product recognition. The result? Hand-crafted deals chosen specifically for ZDNET readers like you, fully backed by our experts.
Also: How we rate deals at ZDNET in 2026