A Brick alternative with no tag to buy or carry
Brick locks your apps with a physical NFC tag you tap. Glosso does it in software, free, and turns the unlock into a 1-minute language lesson.
- No hardware, no tag, nothing to buy
- Blocks Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube and more
- Unlock by learning, in any of 9 languages
Free · No ads · Uses Apple Screen Time API
9 languages available
Why people look for a Brick alternative
Brick is a clever idea: a small physical NFC tag you stick somewhere and tap with your phone to "brick" your chosen apps. Tap the tag again and they come back. It is a one-time hardware purchase, the friction is intentional, and a lot of people genuinely love that the unlock lives in the real world instead of in a settings menu.
The trade-offs are exactly the things that make it work. You have to buy the device, and then you have to carry the tag or remember where you stuck it. If you leave it at home, in another bag, or in a different room, you are either stuck blocked or stuck unblocked until you reach it. Lose the tag and the system stops doing its job. For some that physical anchor is the whole point; for others it is one more object to keep track of.
So the common, fair reasons to shop for an alternative are: you would rather not pay for hardware, you do not want a tag to carry and tap, and you would like something that works the moment you have your phone, no accessory required. That is the gap this page is about.
Glosso: the lock is software, and the unlock teaches you something
Glosso blocks your distracting apps using Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls, the same system-level controls Brick taps into, but without any physical device. There is nothing to buy and nothing to carry. The twist is the unlock: instead of tapping a tag, you complete a quick vocabulary session, as short as one minute, in the language you are learning. So the moments you used to spend mindlessly opening Instagram turn into small, repeated bites of a new language.
It is completely free, with no ads, no subscription, and no paywall. Nine languages are included and you can switch any time: English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese and Korean.
Zero hardware, zero cost
No NFC tag to purchase, no accessory to carry. The block is pure software, built on Apple Screen Time, and the whole app is free. If you have your iPhone, you have your blocker with you.
The unlock is a 1-minute lesson
Where Brick has you tap a tag, Glosso has you earn the unlock by completing a short vocab session. The friction does double duty: it slows the impulse and teaches you a language at the same time.
Enforced at the system level
Glosso uses Apple's Family Controls API, so the block holds at the iOS level and is hard to bypass on a whim, just like a hardware-backed lock, but with nothing extra to lose or forget.
9 languages, all included
Learn English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese or Korean, and switch whenever you like. Brick gives you back your time; Glosso gives you back your time and a new skill.
How Glosso works
Pick the apps to block
Choose the apps that pull you in, like Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat or Facebook. Glosso locks them through Apple Screen Time. No tag to stick anywhere.
Hit a block, do a quick session
When you reach for a blocked app, Glosso asks for a 1-minute vocabulary session in your chosen language instead of a tap on a physical device.
Unlock and keep your progress
Finish the session and the app opens for a set window. Every unlock adds to what you are learning, so the habit compounds instead of just resetting.
“Honestly, it's genius. It cuts me off cold in my scroll to make me work on my Spanish. Best app to stop wasting time!”
“Finally a useful app. I'd been looking for ages for a blocker that's both useful and fun. It's great!”
“The vocabulary toll… a bit annoying at first but honestly it works, a minute here, a minute there, and I'm learning my Spanish vocab, it's nice.”
Brick vs Glosso
Both put deliberate friction between you and your distracting apps. The difference is where that friction lives, what it costs you, and what you get out of it.
| Glosso | Brick | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | One-time hardware purchase |
| Hardware required | ✗ None | ✓ Physical NFC tag |
| How you unlock | 1-minute language session | Tap the physical tag |
| Learn a language while blocked | ✓ | ✗ |
| iOS Screen Time enforcement | ✓ | ✓ |
| Something to carry or lose | ✗ Just your phone | ✓ The tag |
FAQ
Is Glosso really free?
Yes. Glosso is completely free, with no ads, no subscription, no trial and no paywall. Unlike a hardware product, there is no device to buy up front and no recurring cost.
Is Glosso a good alternative to Brick?
If you like Brick's idea of putting friction before your distracting apps but would rather skip buying and carrying a physical tag, yes. Glosso gives you a system-level block with no hardware, and the unlock teaches you a language instead of just opening the app.
What is the main difference between Brick and Glosso?
Brick uses a physical NFC tag you tap to lock and unlock apps, a one-time hardware purchase you carry with you. Glosso is software only: the lock runs on Apple Screen Time, and you unlock with a quick vocabulary session, free and with nothing to carry.
Does Glosso block the same apps as Brick?
Glosso can block the usual distracting apps such as Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat and Facebook. Because it is built on Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls, the block is enforced at the iOS system level.
Do I have to learn a language to use Glosso?
The language session is how you unlock a blocked app, so it is part of how Glosso works. You can pick any of 9 languages and a session is as short as one minute, so it stays light, but learning is the trade you make to get your apps back.
Is Glosso available on Android?
No. Glosso is iPhone only, because it relies on Apple's Screen Time and Family Controls APIs to enforce the block at the system level.
Want Brick's discipline without the gadget?
Block your distracting apps with Apple Screen Time, no tag to buy or carry, and turn every unlock into a minute of a new language. Free, no ads.
Download freeFree · No ads · Uses Apple Screen Time API