Brick Cases Add Color and Texture to the Phone-Blocking Device

The Brick’s new snap-on cases make its physical approach to reducing phone distractions a little more personal. They change the look and feel of the device, but not what it does: users still tap a phone against the Brick to block selected apps, then tap again when they want to restore access.

The Brick is a small app-blocking device built around that physical interaction. One Mashable writer reported using it to cut her screen time in half. Until now, its gray, block-shaped design offered little room for personal expression. The new Brick Cases are a $39 accessory intended to change that.

Four finishes, one function

The cases come in four styles: Catch Rays, a butter yellow; Unwind, a brick red; Look Up, with a cloudy sky pattern; and Get Outside, a mossy green with a grass-textured surface. Their names point toward activities away from a screen, while their colors and textures give the device a more distinctive appearance.

Brick announced the cases on Instagram on Sept. 22. The company says they’re sold exclusively through its website in the U.S. Its FAQ describes the cases as an aesthetic upgrade: users can switch colors and textures to suit their surroundings or personal taste, but the accessory doesn’t alter the Brick’s operation.

Personalize your screen time companion. Credit: Brick

The distinction matters for anyone weighing the accessory against the device itself. A case won’t add new app controls, change how long a block lasts, or make the Brick work with more phones. Its value is in appearance and surface texture. Buyers looking for a functional upgrade won’t find one here; those who already use the device and want a different finish can choose among four options.

Check the model before buying

Compatibility is limited to the latest version of the Brick. The original model won’t fit the new case. The device received a minor redesign during the summer, with rounder edges and a new logo. Brick says any device purchased from getbrick.com after July 30 of this year counts as an “upgraded Brick.” If you bought yours earlier or from another source, check which model you have before ordering.

The Brick’s core mechanism uses an NFC chip. Tap a compatible phone against the device to block selected apps; tap it against the Brick again to remove the block. That physical step adds friction compared with a screen-time setting that can be changed within the phone. As Mashable writer Samantha Mangino put it, the extra barrier can make it harder to override a limit in a moment of distraction.

That mechanism also sets expectations for what the product can and can’t do. The Brick depends on the user choosing to block apps and then respecting the interruption. Its physical form adds a deliberate action to the process, but the cases don’t strengthen that barrier or expand the feature set. Their practical effect is limited to how the device looks and feels in use.

Price and platform support

The Brick costs $59, and each case adds $39, bringing the combined price to nearly $100 before any other costs. That’s a substantial outlay for a device whose main job is to make app access less immediate, especially if you’re considering the case as part of your first purchase. The calculation may look different for current owners who want to refresh the device’s appearance. Sharing one Brick among several users can also spread the device’s cost; Mashable has described a way to share it.

The device supports iPhones running iOS 17 or later and Android phones running Android 12 or newer. Those requirements apply to the Brick’s phone-based functions; the case itself is fitted to the updated hardware. Buyers should confirm both their phone’s operating system and the Brick model before spending on the accessory.

View Brick’s case announcement on Instagram

Credit: Brick

Brick Case — $39 at getbrick.com.

For existing owners of the redesigned Brick, the choice is straightforward: pay for a finish that better suits your style or space. For new buyers, the case is an optional extra, and the more consequential decision is whether the Brick’s tap-to-block routine fits your habits and phone. See Mangino’s full review of the Brick for more on using the device.