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Two free, open-source apps—Foqos for iPhone and Switchly for Android—can replicate the $59 Brick device's NFC-based distraction blocking using cheap NFC tags or printed QR codes, no dedicated hardware required.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Brick** is a $59 device that blocks phone distractions via NFC tap, but the hardware is essentially just a generic NFC chip—a blank tag costs about $1, and free apps can use the same tags or printed QR codes to replicate Brick's functionality.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Foqos**, a free open-source iOS app by Canadian developer Ali Waseem, supports NFC tags, QR codes, barcodes on existing household objects, and daily schedules; it also blocks the user from deleting the app while a blocking session is active.

You Don’t Need to Pay for Distraction-Blocking Software — SkimNews

By Wired · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-27

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Brick is a $59 device that blocks phone distractions via NFC tap, but the hardware is essentially just a generic NFC chip—a blank tag costs about $1, and free apps can use the same tags or printed QR codes to replicate Brick's functionality.
Foqos, a free open-source iOS app by Canadian developer Ali Waseem, supports NFC tags, QR codes, barcodes on existing household objects, and daily schedules; it also blocks the user from deleting the app while a blocking session is active.
Switchly, a free Android app from Vienna-based developer Saltyy, is available on Google Play and supports NFC chips, QR codes, schedules, URL blocking, and per-feature app blocking (e.g., blocking Reels within Instagram without blocking the whole app).
Switchly's Premium tier adds Wi-Fi-network and Bluetooth-device triggers, but the free tier offers enough features for most users; the developer notes effectiveness varies by phone model.
Lock, another Android option, is more polished than Switchly but supports only NFC chips, with no QR-code or schedule alternatives.
The author tested Foqos against a Reddit habit by hiding a printed QR code inside a cabinet, creating enough physical friction to finish a book instead of scrolling.

Why it matters: Anyone tempted to spend $59 on a Brick can get equivalent physical-friction app blocking for under $1 plus a free app—Foqos on iPhone and Switchly on Android both block app deletion during active sessions, a feature specifically designed to counter the user's own urges to cheat the block.