Free Apps Can Add Physical Friction to Phone Distraction Blocks
WIRED explains that paid hardware like Brick relies on NFC technology, which can be replicated with inexpensive tags or printed QR codes. Free apps such as Foqos for iOS let users start and stop blocking sessions by scanning an object, schedule, or barcode. Foqos can also prevent users from deleting the app or changing settings during a block.
A $59 device called Brick uses tapping to help block distracting apps. Its core is ordinary NFC, and blank tags cost about a dollar. Free alternatives can use those tags or printed QR codes, so no proprietary hardware is required.
Foqos, a free open-source iOS app from Canadian developer Ali Waseem, supports NFC tags, QR codes, schedules, or household barcodes. During a session it can stop app management and deletion, with optional limited breaks; its privacy policy says data stays on-device. Switchly, an Android app by Vienna-based Saltyy, offers app and URL blocking, NFC/QR triggers, schedules, and some premium Wi-Fi or Bluetooth triggers.
By removing the need for a $59 device, these tools could make phone-distraction blocking more accessible to budget-conscious users. People who struggle with compulsive scrolling may benefit from added friction, while privacy-focused users may prefer on-device options. The approach may also shift digital-wellbeing practices toward free software and ordinary objects, though effectiveness could vary by platform, phone model, and individual motivation.