If you've looked into physical phone blockers, you've probably come across two names: bloc (by Letsbloc, made in India) and Brick (made by Brick LLC in the US). Both work the same basic way. You pick the apps that eat your day, and getting them back means getting up and tapping your phone on a small NFC object that lives away from you.
So the real question isn't which idea is better. It's which one fits you, and for most people in India that comes down to price, delivery and which phone you own.
Disclosure: this comparison is written by the team that makes bloc. We've tried to keep the facts about Brick accurate and checked them in October 2026. Prices and availability change, so check Brick's own site before you buy.
How Both Work
App based limits (Apple Screen Time, Digital Wellbeing, most blocker apps) live on the same phone they're trying to control. Every limit comes with an "ignore" button one tap away, and when you're in the middle of a scroll urge, one tap is nothing.
Physical blockers move the off switch out of your hand. Your chosen apps stay locked until you walk to the device and tap your phone on it. That short walk is the gap between the impulse and the scroll, and a lot of urges don't survive it.
Neither bloc nor Brick locks your whole phone. Both block only the apps you choose, so calls, messages and maps keep working.
bloc
What it is: A small NFC magnet that sticks to your fridge, plus a free app. Comes in Black and White.
How you use it: Choose the apps to block (Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, games, whatever pulls you in) and start a session. To get them back, walk to the fridge and tap.
What stays on: Calls, messages, maps, ride apps and anything you mark as essential are never blocked.
Phones: iPhone on iOS 16.2 or later, and Android phones with NFC. The app also has Shake, Typing and Bonkers modes, so you can add friction without the tap too.
Price: ₹1,699 early bird (MRP ₹2,499) for one. Duo (2) ₹3,199, Squad (5) ₹7,499. Pay once, no subscription. The app is free.
Delivery in India: Free, 3 to 5 days. 30 day replacement guarantee.
Brick
What it is: A small block with an NFC chip inside, plus the Brick app. It needs no battery or charging.
How you use it: Pick the apps to block, then tap your phone on the Brick to "brick" it. Tap again to unlock. You decide where the Brick lives, often by the front door or in another room.
Emergency access: The app gives you a limited number of emergency unbricks (five at the time of writing) for when you can't get to the device.
Phones: iOS 17 or later and Android 12 or later, per Brick's own requirements when we checked.
Price: $59 in the US. In India, it was listed at ₹7,999 by a reseller (Mainstreet) in October 2026. It also shows up on Amazon.in through third party sellers, where prices vary.
Delivery in India: The reseller quoted about four weeks.
Head to Head
| bloc | Brick | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | NFC magnet for your fridge | NFC block you place anywhere |
| How you unlock apps | Walk to the fridge and tap | Walk to the Brick and tap |
| Which apps get blocked | You choose | You choose |
| Calls and messages | Keep working | Keep working |
| Price in India | ₹1,699 (early bird) | ₹7,999 at an Indian reseller |
| Delivery in India | Free, 3 to 5 days | About 4 weeks |
| iPhone | iOS 16.2 or later | iOS 17 or later |
| Android | Phones with NFC | Android 12 or later |
| Subscription | None | Check Brick's site |
| Company based in | India | US |
Where They Actually Differ
Price. This is the big one. In India, one Brick costs about as much as a bloc Squad, which is five bloc devices for the whole family.
Delivery and support. bloc ships from India in days, with an Indian support team and a 30 day replacement guarantee. Brick in India goes through resellers, with a longer wait and support routed through whoever sold it to you.
Older phones. bloc runs on iOS 16.2 and most NFC Android phones. Brick needs iOS 17 or Android 12, which leaves out some older handsets.
Where it lives. bloc is built to go on the fridge, so the walk is part of the design and the device never wanders off. Brick can go anywhere, which is more flexible but also easier to leave on your desk.
Escape hatches. Brick's emergency unbricks are useful if you're travelling or away from home. bloc handles the same problem by keeping your essential apps permanently open and offering the no tap friction modes.
Who Should Get Brick
- ·You're in the US, where Brick is easy to buy and support is local
- ·You want limited emergency unbricks built in
- ·You already own one and it works for you
Who Should Get bloc
- ·You're in India and want it delivered in days, not weeks
- ·You want a physical blocker for the whole family without spending ₹8,000 a device
- ·Your phone is on iOS 16 or an Android version older than 12
- ·You want the device fixed to one spot so the walk always happens
Why Physical Friction Works
Behavioural economists call this a commitment device. You make the decision ("no Instagram during work hours") when you're calm, and the setup holds you to it later when you're not. A tap based blocker doesn't make the urge go away. It makes acting on it just slow and annoying enough that you notice what you're doing.
That's the part bloc and Brick share, and it's why either one tends to beat an app timer.
Other Options Worth Knowing
Brick isn't the only alternative. Bloom is a steel NFC card (about $40 in the US, no Indian retailer at the time of writing; see bloc vs Bloom Card). Unpluq pairs an NFC tag with a subscription app. Blok is a separate NFC card brand with no link to bloc. We compare all of them, with Indian pricing, in our guide to the best phone blockers in India.
Verdict
In India: bloc, the closest Brick alternative in India. It does the same job as Brick for about a fifth of the price, arrives in days, and works on more phones.
In the US, or if you want emergency unbricks: Brick is a good product and easier to get there.
Either way: physical friction works better than a limit you can dismiss with one tap.
bloc ships free across India. Starts at ₹1,699. Order here →