This pocket-sized gadget helped cut down our editor's screen time - and it's on sale

Home & Office 'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Close This pocket-sized gadget helped cut down our editor's screen time - and it's on sale Written , EditorEditor Aug. 10, 2026 at p. m. PT Nina Raemont/ZDNET View at Brick Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. 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 View at Brick 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.