The Gadget That Fixed My 8-Hour Screen Time Habit

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wirecutter Show — “The Gadget That Fixed My 8-Hour Screen Time Habit”

Date: August 7, 2026
Hosts: Kyra Blackwell, Christine Cyr Clisset (not present in this episode)
Guest: Elisa Sanchi (Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer)

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Overview

This episode tackles the growing concern of excessive phone screen time and introduces the “Brick,” a physical device designed to help users meaningfully reduce their time spent on distracting apps. Host Kyra Blackwell interviews journalist Elisa Sanchi, who extensively tested the Brick and shares how it transformed her digital habits. The episode explores why screen time is so difficult to control, how the Brick works, comparisons with other methods and apps, practical downsides, and who would benefit most from using this tool.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: Out-of-Control Screen Time

• Confession & Context
  Elisa reveals her daily phone usage was frequently around eight hours, likening it to a full workday of scrolling, mainly on social media.

  “Eight hours a day. That's like, a whole work day. Yeah. What is that?... addicted to social media. But, like, for what? I don't even know, because I just couldn't stop doom scrolling.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 03:14)

• Kyra and Elisa empathize with the difficulty in resisting temptation, highlighting how common this struggle is among colleagues and the general public.

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2. What is the Brick & How Does it Work?

• Device Description
  A small, square, refrigerator-magnet-like physical device that works in tandem with a smartphone app.

  “It's like this small little refrigerator magnet... fits in the palm of your hand, ... you sync this little brick with a brick app ... choose which apps you want the brick to block.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 01:57)

• Mechanism

  • Tap phone to the Brick to block (“brick”) apps; can only unblock by physically tapping again.
  • Apps are inaccessible until unbricked.
  • A “scarcity mindset” is reinforced by allowing only five “emergency unbricks,” usable without the Brick present.
  • Profiles and scheduling allow advance, automatic blocking (e.g., “workday” 9–5, mornings).

    “You can set a profile, and it could be workday, ... brick and unbrick automatically. You don't even have to be standing next to the brick at that point.”
    (Elisa Sanchi, 06:47)

• Physical Separation as a Barrier

  • Effectiveness comes from being forced to physically get up and retrieve the Brick—a psychological deterrent.
  • The Brick can be kept out of reach (e.g., in a car, on a fridge), adding “friction” to interruptions and unproductive app use.

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3. The Psychological Side of Using the Brick

• Shame, Accountability, and Withdrawal

  • Elisa discusses the emotional side, including initial “Instagram withdrawal” and even feelings of shame when tempted to “unbrick.”

  “How many times did I open that app and just to be greeted with, 'you are bricked. Go touch grass, essentially, is what it tells you, and you're like, oh, my God.'”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 05:14)

• Scarcity and Emergency Unbricks

  • With just five emergency unbricks (“I have four emergency unbricks left.”), she describes how scarcity makes her hesitate to use them except in real need.

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4. Comparison to Other Methods & Apps

• Common Alternatives Tried

  • Screen Time (iPhone):
    Too easy to circumvent via “remind me in 15 minutes” ("I did that once for like three hours." – 09:22).
  • Opal (App):
    Allows scheduled locking but offers loopholes (temporary access can be repeatedly requested).
  • Physical Lock Box:
    Didn’t work if you have the code/key.
  • Other creative solutions at Wirecutter:
    Using “dumb phones,” avatars that “work if you work” (Focus Friend app), grayscale settings, etc.

• Why the Brick Works Better

  • All app-based methods can be bypassed with minimal friction or motivation; the Brick’s physical separation increases accountability.

  “It's the physical distance from the brick that really helped... it's pretty hard to get around. And that was exactly what I needed.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 09:26)

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5. Downsides & Limitations

• Cost:

  • $60 for a one-time purchase; no subscription. (Apps like Opal require monthly fees.)

  “I would say, like the biggest downside is that it costs $60. It's not cheap, but it's a one time payment and it doesn't require a subscription.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 10:05)

• Doesn’t Work if the User Isn’t Motivated/Disciplined:

  • You could always keep the Brick at hand, making it less effective.
  • Not foolproof for those determined to cheat the system.

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6. Who Is the Brick Best Suited For?

• Ideal Users:

  • Anyone seeking to curb phone use: social media addicts, overworked professionals, students, families with teens.
  • Works for individuals and multi-person households; each person creates their own app profile.

  “Anybody can benefit from having a brick. Whatever it is about your phone that is distracting you, you likely can brick yourself out of and that's really helpful.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 12:37)

• Family & Roommate-Friendly:

  • One device can serve several users (each downloads the app, syncs to the same Brick).
  • Can be used collaboratively for accountability.

• Works with Multiple Devices:

  • Elisa uses it on both phone and iPad (requiring different logins).

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7. Social Impact & Fear of Missing Out

• Addressing FOMO:
  • Elisa acknowledges missing out on acquaintances’ updates but not on meaningful connections.

  “For me, my closest friends or my closest family members, I haven't missed anything... I did end up texting a bunch of friends just to be like, hey, like, just so you know, I'm kind of off Instagram.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 14:38)

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8. Long-Term Results & Experience

• Sustained Change:

  • Nearly 10 months of continuous use, with 59 days “bricked out” of Instagram at recording time.

  “As of now, it's been almost 10 months. But, yeah, I've been, like, bricked out of Instagram now at this point for the last 59 days. Wow.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 15:33)

• Benefits:

  • Hobbies rekindled, more productive leisure time, reduced anxiety from endless scrolling.

  “I've just been able to redirect all of that time into things that give you a tangible result versus wasting eight hours on social media.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 15:54)

• Ongoing Use:

  • No plans to stop using Brick.

  “I think I'm just gonna keep myself bricked. It feels like a security blanket in a way. So maybe I really haven't overcome my addiction... but whatever, it works, and it works really well.”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 15:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Brick’s psychological impact:
  “It's the shame spiral of it all, where I was like, I could easily get up and go unbrick. And then I'm like, but what does that say about me that I really can't... keep it together long enough?”
  (Elisa Sanchi, 04:20)

• On alternatives:
  “It’s like an alarm for your phone. Like when you’re trying to wake up and you just hit snooz[e] over and over again.”
  (Kyra Blackwell, 09:22)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33–01:48: Introduction & The Problem with Screen Time
• 01:57–02:53: What is the Brick? How Does it Work?
• 03:14–05:40: Elisa’s Screen Time Confession & Early Experiences
• 06:47–07:49: Scheduling, Profiles, Morning Use Cases
• 07:49–10:05: Alternatives & What Makes the Brick Unique
• 10:05–10:31: Downsides: Price, Limitations
• 12:25–14:19: Who Should Use the Brick & Multi-User Household Scenarios
• 14:19–15:24: FOMO & Maintaining Personal Relationships
• 15:33–16:35: Long-Term Use, Lasting Impact, Elisa’s Reflection

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Summary Verdict:
The Brick offers a simple but powerful solution for those struggling with screen addiction. Its physical nature and thoughtful design (scarcity, collaboration, friction) set it apart from app-only methods. While not cheap, its one-time cost and broad compatibility make it a robust option—particularly effective for the self-motivated or those wanting to encourage friends and family to join them in reclaiming attention and time.

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Further Resources:

• For Elisa’s full story and detailed guide, visit the Wirecutter website (see show notes).
• Additional articles about reducing screen time and digital wellbeing are linked in the episode notes.

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Host’s Closing Thought:
“I really do hope that you keep it up, Elisa. It sounds like you definitely will.”
(Kyra Blackwell, 16:35)

Transcript

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[Kyra Blackwell]

I'm Kyra Blackwell and you're listening to the Wirecutter Show. Hi, it's Kyra. Have you ever checked your daily average screen time on your phone and been embarrassed? We all know it's bad. Whether you play games or check your social media feeds or read the news, it can be so hard to control your phone usage. Or maybe you feel okay about your screen time, but your child or your partner really struggles to stay off their phone. A lot of people are desperate for a solution here at Wirecutter. Many of our staff members have tried apps and techniques to reduce their phone time from going black and white to using a dumb phone. But one tool stands out for many of them is a device called the Brick. The Brick is a physical app blocking tool that senior staff writer Elisa Sanchi tested for two weeks and she hasn't stopped using it since. Today I'm going to talk with Elisa about this device and how it's helped her limit her phone usage. Elisa, welcome.

[Elisa Sanchi]

Hi, happy to be here.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So happy to have you and I'm excited to talk about our subject today. So tell me, what is the brick and how does it work?

[Elisa Sanchi]

So the brick is like this small little refrigerator magnet. It's a square, it fits in the palm of your hand, it has a magnet on the back so you can stick it to the refrigerator, keep it in one place. Basically, you sync this little brick with a brick app that you download on your phone and then through the app you have to choose which apps you want the brick to block. So this is to stop you from scrolling endlessly or really to block you out of whatever it is that is taking up all of your time. For me it was TikTok and Instagram, but for some people I bet it could be like work slack on off work hours. So essentially when you're ready to lock yourself out, you tap your phone against the brick and that's it, you're bricked. Your phone is locked to the apps. You cannot open up whatever app you've selected and the only way to get back in to unbrick is to touch your phone against the physical brick when you're ready to get back in.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So what made you want to test something like the brick in the first place?

[Elisa Sanchi]

I was on my phone all the time. My screen time was appalling. I'm telling you, I could not get myself off my phone. When I set out to research and report this story, I obviously had to check my screen time, like, as a starting point, and it was.

[Kyra Blackwell]

What was the number, girl?

[Elisa Sanchi]

Eight hours a day. That's like, a whole work day. Yeah. What is that? Right? It was really embarrassing, even just for me in my own house. Just, like, looking at it, I remember, like, thinking, oh, my God, that is a full work day that I have spent on my phone. I was just, like, addicted to social media. But, like, for what? I don't even know, because I just couldn't stop doom scrolling. I'm like, am I even taking anything in? My attention span was shot. I was getting it from every angle, and I couldn't get myself to stop scrolling. No matter how hard I tried, I would make really big, concerted efforts to stay off my phone, and I couldn't do it. I just, like, would find myself back scrolling.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So it sounds like the brick did work for you, and I want to talk about why exactly it worked in a minute. But before we even get into that, I have to know, like, what's to stop people from just unbricking their phone? You said it's a magnet that you can attach basically anywhere. Like, why wouldn't somebody just, like, carry it around in their bag with them if they really want to unbrick whenever they want to?

[Elisa Sanchi]

I mean, you totally could, so it's really up to you. First and foremost, what's stopping people from unbricking is the fact that you need to be physically next to the brick to unbrick. So that's your first barrier. So if you're really serious about keeping yourself off of your phone, like, you'll keep the brick somewhere that's super inconvenient or impossible for you to get to. If you work in an office, you can even leave the brick in your car. So maybe it's like, you want to stay off social media in the office, so you brick before you go in. You leave the brick in your car, and then, you know, you can't get back on until you leave for the day. For me, I work from home, and so I'm always in the same space as my brick, but I keep it on the fridge. Just so that way I don't lose it. And it's far enough away that I had to really think, like, do I want to get up and unbrick right now? And then it also led to the shame spiral of it all, where I was like, I could easily get up and go unbrick. And then I'm like, but what does that say about me that I really can't, like, keep it together long enough? And, like, again, I was doing this for work, specifically in the beginning. So I was also like, I need to actually, like, lock in and do this, because I have to be able to write this story. Even though in the beginning it was really hard. Like, I mean, it sounds silly, but it's like Instagram withdrawal. How many times did I open that app and just to be greeted with, you are bricked. Go touch grass, essentially, is what it tells you, and you're like, oh, my God.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It also tells you how long that specific app has been bricked for. Right?

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yeah. Alternatively, if you're out and about and you're bricked and there is no way for you to unbrick, the app has five emergency unbrick. So there are five chances for you to unbrick your phone whenever you want, whether you're next to the brick or not. But the problem with that is that this little device only comes with five emergency unbricks. So once you use them up, that's it. You're done. No more unbricking. So it gives you that scarcity mindset. And I've. I've only emergency unbricked one time, and it was because I went on vacation and totally forgot to unbrick, and I was like, well, I would like to be able to post something. And so I am emergency unbricks. So I have four emergency unbricks left. But I don't know, I think that really stops me from using it. And that also just kind of, like, bolsters the scarcity mindset.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's the shame game all over again.

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yeah.

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And you know what?

[Elisa Sanchi]

It's working.

[Kyra Blackwell]

So just to run it back a little bit, can you actually tell me more the mechanics of how you interact with the brick and how it works?

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yeah. So if you know that you want your phone to be bricked during work hours, like, you can set a profile, and it could be workday, and so it can be like 9 to 5, and it'll just brick and unbrick automatically. So you don't even have to be standing next to the brick at that point. Another fun way to use the scheduling aspect, like, if you're a person who spends the morning doom scrolling before you get up. And like, you know what, I want to be able to like get up and not look at my phone. Like, you can set something so like say your alarm goes off at like 6:30. You can brick yourself from like 6 to 9. And so that way by the time your alarm goes off, you're already brick. So if your first instinct is to open up Instagram, open up TikTok, talk, whatever, you won't be able to. So there are different ways you can use this. For me, I know myself, I know my personality and like, unfortunately, cold turkey really is the best way for me. And it really, it helped a lot. But I know that not everybody needs to use it the way I use it. And I think it can be, again, a really helpful tool. I'm just a little extreme.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Brenda Stoyar, She's a tech reporter here at Wirecutter. She also tried lots of methods to limit her phone addiction. She tried everything from screen time, which is a built in limiting feature in the Settings settings app on iPhones. She switched to an old BlackBerry that didn't have any social media and she even tried an app called Focus Friend. I don't know if you've heard of this one, but it's this little avatar that can only get their work done while your phone is not in use. So basically they get to work if you work.

[Elisa Sanchi]

That's cute.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Yeah, she, she really did like that one. But she still said above all, she likes the brick more than anything. So I'm curious to hear what other methods you tried and why the brick still reigns supreme for you.

[Elisa Sanchi]

Before the brick, I tried a lot of different things. Like Brenda, I was using screen time that comes built in with the phone. I had downloaded an app, not Focus Friend. It was called Opal. It's similar to the brick in that you set schedules and it locks you out of whatever apps for however long you set it for. I tried things like just putting my phone in a different room. I tried a little lock box for my phone.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Did you give somebody else the key or the code or something?

[Elisa Sanchi]

No, of course I didn't. So I was able to get into it so easily. Yeah, so like that didn't work. The screen time app and Opal, I found it was just too easy to circumvent the stoppage of the apps. So like when you have the screen time on, it'll like pop up and it's like you've reached your screen time limit and then right there, there's an option that's like, remind me in 15 minutes. I did that once for like three hours.

[Kyra Blackwell]

It's like an alarm for your phone. Like when you're trying to wake up and you just hit snooz over and over again.

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yes, a hundred percent. And then same with Opal. Like, Opal had it so you could take 15 minutes at a time off. So if you wanted to spend 15 minutes on Instagram, like you would go into the app and say, like, okay, I want to take a 15 minute break from this. And then you'd have to wait 10 seconds and then it lets you in and then it kicks you out. But like, again, you could just keep doing that. It's the physical distance from the brick that really helped in the beginning. Especially to me, it's pretty hard to get around. And, and that was exactly what I needed.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Is there anything that you hate about the brick? Any downsides?

[Elisa Sanchi]

I would say, like the biggest downside is that it costs $60. It's not cheap, but it's a one time payment and it doesn't require a subscription. Some of those apps, like Opal does require a subscription. And so like you're paying every month for this, whereas this brick, I paid $60 once. And that's it.

[Kyra Blackwell]

We're gonna take a quick break and then when we're back, Alicia's gonna tell us who she doesn't recommend it for and working for the whole family. Be right back.

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[Kyra Blackwell]

Welcome back. With me now is Elisa Sanchi, who is a writer here at Wirecutter who wanted to test the brick to see if it would help her get off her phone. So Elisa, who do you think the brick is best suited for?

[Elisa Sanchi]

The brick is best suited for anybody who wants to spend less time on their phone. You don't have to be like me, a social media addict. You can just simply not want to on your phone. I think anybody can benefit from having a brick. Whatever it is about your phone that is distracting you, you likely can brick yourself out of and that's really helpful.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Can you share the brick with multiple devices in one home?

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yeah. So you can use a single brick for however many people live in your house. Every person just needs to download the app separately on their phone and make their own account and then you can sync up to the same brick. So you know if it's you and a bunch of roommates and you're like, oh, New Year's resolution. We want spend less time on our phones. You can get the brick. Split it between the four of you if you want to implement screen time for your kids. Screen time limits and they're also savvy and they're figuring out how to get around the screen time limits that you're already putting in place. This could also work if you're a parent and you have a teen who is stuck on their phone, you can offer to do it as well. So you know they're not going it alone. This $1 60 brick can really go far and if you decide it's not for you, you can give it to. Somebody is in need of a brick. As long as they downloaded app on their own and create their own profile, they'll have no problem getting in and out. And you can also use the brick with multiple devices even if it's just you. So you just need to download the app on whatever device. So for instance, I have it on my iPad too, but I had to create a whole separate account, like different email so that way it wouldn't mess up the one on my phone. And so my iPad has its own separate brick account.

[Kyra Blackwell]

And I think a lot of people might be worried. For instance, if you're on Instagram a lot and you get updates on the people in your life, and there's a fear there, if you are not doing that, then you're going to miss out on big life events of the people in your. In your life. Did you feel that at all? Do you feel like you've been left out of people's lives?

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yes and no. So, yes, of course I am missing out on all of, like, the small updates for people who I'm not very close with, just people in my life who I don't talk to all the time, but I still want to know what's happening. But for me, my closest friends or my closest family members, I haven't missed anything. So in this past year, like, a lot of things have happened. A lot of big life events. My friends have gone through a lot of big life events, and I haven't been left out because they've reached out to me to let me know. And it also helps that when I started this endeavor, I did end up texting a bunch of friends just to be like, hey, like, just so you know, I'm kind of off Instagram. If you send me something and I'm not responding, I'm not, you know, being a jerk. I just. I'm not using Instagram anymore, just so you know. And I think that also helps, too, is, like, if you just tell people.

[Kyra Blackwell]

But that's sweet to hear. It is nice to hear, just to be clear. So you published this guide in October of last year? Yes. So how long have you been using the brick now?

[Elisa Sanchi]

So I started using the brick before the piece was published in, like, September. And so as of now, it's been almost 10 months. But, yeah, I've been, like, bricked out of Instagram now at this point for the last 59 days. Wow.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Good for you, girl. Like, that's a really big accomplishment. Do you have any plans of stopping the brick?

[Elisa Sanchi]

No, I don't think so. I think I'm just gonna keep myself bricked. It feels like a security blanket in a way. So maybe I really haven't overcome my addiction to social media, but whatever, it works, and it works really well, and it's really kept me off of my phone and, like, I've been able to just do more with my free time. So, like, all of those excuses that I had been giving myself, I would write a book if only I had the time. It's like, girl, you have the time. Like I've done so much stuff with all of my time. I'm like re engag with all my old hobbies. I've just been able to redirect all of that time into things that give you a tangible result versus wasting eight hours on social media.

[Kyra Blackwell]

Well, I love to hear this and I really do hope that you keep it up, Elisa. It sounds like you definitely will. Thank you so much for joining us. It was such a pleasure to have you.

[Elisa Sanchi]

Yeah, thanks for having me. This was.

[Kyra Blackwell]

You can find a link to Elisa's story about using the brick in our show notes or on Wirecratter's website. We'll also link to more articles about the techniques our reporters have tried to limit their phone time. Thanks for listening. The Wirecutter show is executive produced by Rosie Garon and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Maddie Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was made mixed by Katherine Anderson, Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Alicia Ba? Itup, Katherine Anderson, Rowan Nimisto and Diane Wong. Cliff Levy is Wirecutter's deputy publisher and General Manager. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's Editor in Chief. I'm Kyra Blackwell. Thanks for listening.

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