Brick vs Bloom: Price, Rules and Losing the Key (2026)

Brick and Bloom do the same job: a physical object you tap with your phone to start and end a lock on your distracting apps. Bloom is cheaper, Brick is simpler, and both leave you stuck when you forget the thing at home. If you want the same idea without hardware, LockPact is free to use and puts a partner where the device would be.

What is the difference between Brick and Bloom?

Brick is a $59 device; Bloom is a $39 keycard or a $59 magnetic pod. Both work by tapping your phone to start a lock and again to end it, both list no subscription and a 30-day money-back guarantee, and both give you emergency exits that unlock your apps without the device. The differences are price, shape and how many emergency exits you get.

Prices and policies are from each company’s own store on October 16, 2026, and can change.

Which one is better for you?

Pick Brick if you want the plainest version of the idea and don’t mind the higher price. Pick Bloom if you want to spend less, want a card that fits in a wallet, or want a pod you can leave on a desk, nightstand or fridge. Choose by where you’ll keep the thing, because the lock only works when you can reach it on purpose and can’t when you’re tempted.

Who should pick Brick?

People who want one device with one job. Brick’s listing is short on extras: you pick the apps in its app, tap your phone against it to start, and rescan it to end. It also sells a Case and a Mount if you want somewhere to keep it.

Who should pick Bloom?

People who want the cheaper option or a form factor that travels. The Bloom Card is $39 and fits in a wallet, and the Pod ($59) sticks to a surface so one spot in your home becomes the place you unlock. Its listing also mentions focus schedules and break timers.

What happens when you forget or lose it?

You use an emergency exit, and then you run out. Brick lists five Emergency Unbricks that unblock all apps. Bloom lists three emergency exits and one more each month. After that, if the device is gone, the lock has nothing to end it with. That’s the one situation hardware locks handle worst: forgetting it at home, losing it, or traveling without it.

Is there a Brick or Bloom alternative with no hardware?

Yes. An app-only lock can’t be a physical barrier, so it has to replace the device with something else. Our Brick alternatives guide compares five app-only options and who can turn each one off. The short version: most are apps you control, so you can switch them off in Settings. LockPact swaps the device for a person.

LockPact is free to use. You and a partner each choose apps to lock on your own phones, and unlocking needs the other person’s approval. If either of you bypasses it in Settings, which Apple always allows, the other is told. It’s iPhone only, and it needs someone willing to be your partner. There are optional purchases, Support LockPact and Willpower Waivers ($1.99–$9.99), which skip the short video before an unlock request, but you never need either to use it.

Which should you choose?

Choose Bloom or Brick if you want a physical barrier and you’ll keep it within reach. Choose LockPact if you’d rather have the decision belong to someone else, you travel, or you’ve forgotten a device before. No lock makes quitting impossible: an iPhone owner can always revoke Screen Time access, and the honest goal of all of these is to make it slower and more deliberate.