Friction-Maxxing: The Rise of App-Blocking Gadgets

Brick, the company behind the popular app-blocking device of the same name, has a pretty compelling tagline – “Take Back Your Time”. The device, as well as others like Locked and Bloomcard, has been in the spotlight for some time, especially as more and more focus is on productivity gains at work and at home.

Yet, there is also a fundamental reason for the rise in these devices and applications – almost all of us know that we spend too much time on screens. If you don’t feel you spend enough time on your phone, tablet, or laptop, you are in the minority. A 2026 study claims that 53% of Americans would like to reduce the time they spend on smartphones.

Brick and others tap into this desire, knowing that we know it isn’t as easy as relying on willpower alone. A smartphone gives you access to just about any digital experience you want, from attending Zoom meetings to wagering on WNBA game lines, from accessing social media to filing tax returns. But the lines have blurred between what is essential and what could be considered a waste of time.

We could all scroll a little less

Doomscrolling is the most frequently cited example of time-wasting on smartphones. It’s become so ubiquitous as an activity that it even has its own social media page. Yes, it implies more the process of consuming negative information (and misinformation) rather than time-wasting, but it is part of the allure of smartphones. It is inherently human to do so, as it is not a strictly new phenomenon, linked to the same family of cognitive biases as “mean world syndrome”.

Nevertheless, if you are doomscrolling or doing something else “pointless”, there is a recognition that this is not a good use of your time. That’s where the app-blockers come into their own. Most of them are based on the fundamental principle of adding friction to your smartphone use. Yes, you can always unblock an app blocker, but the additional layer of friction can often stop you from going into settings or switching to another device to do it.

App-blockers remain relatively niche

At a push, we’d say these app blockers are still quite niche. Brick – clearly the industry leader for physical devices – has been quite guarded with its sales figures, but whatever the exact figure is, even if it is in the tens of millions, it would only be a drop in the ocean compared to the almost six billion smartphone users worldwide. Of course, you aren’t always required to use a physical device, as many app-blocking apps exist, but Brick’s popularity is almost certainly linked to the physical nature of the device. It offers a note of finality.

The pursuit of less screentime can be seen elsewhere, including the growing popularity of dumbphones. These are devices that, as the name suggests, strip away the entertainment apps and non-essential tools. They can still be connected to the internet, and they may offer non-distracting applications, like Google Maps, but the idea is that they are for essential use only. Incredibly, they seem to be more popular among younger adults than older ones.

As we said earlier, smartphones are now viewed as essential – could you do your job without one? – but they are also the bane of productivity, and most of us know that deep down we are using them too much for no discernible reason. Adding a bit of friction, along with training yourself to be a little more disciplined in using them, might be desirable for all of us.