اقفل التطبيقات اللي تلهيك ببلاش: بديل Brick المفتوح المصدر على الآيفون والأندرويدLock Distracting Apps for Free: The Open Source Brick Alternative on iPhone and Android

Key terms

Brick

A small device that costs $59. Tap your phone on it and the apps you picked lock. To unlock them you have to tap it again.

Foqos

A free, open source iPhone app that does the same thing. No subscription, no in app purchases, and it locks and unlocks with an NFC sticker or a QR code.

NFC

A tiny chip your phone reads when you hold it close. NTAG213 stickers are cheap and enough for this.

Open Blocker

An open source clone made for Android. Right now it is an early alpha, and the iPhone version is waiting on Apple.

The steps

1. 1

   Step 1

   Understand why it works

   The lock is not the trick. The distance is.

   When opening Instagram means walking to another room, most of the time you just do not bother. That is what Brick sells for $59, and you can build it for free.

   Tip: Anything that lets you unlock with one tap will not work, even if it is free.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Install Foqos from the App Store

   Open the App Store and search for Foqos, or go to foqos.app and tap the store link.

   The first time you open it, it asks for Screen Time access. Allow it. The app cannot block anything without it.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Create a profile with the apps that distract you

   Inside the app, create a new profile and pick the apps and sites you want to block.

   Start small: the two or three apps you open without thinking. You can add more later.

   PromptAsk Claude to help you choose

   Copy

   These are the apps I use every day: [list of apps]. Split them into three groups: work apps that must stay open, apps that distract me and should be locked, and the ones in between. Give me only the second group as a short list I can copy.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Pair a key: an NFC sticker or a printed QR

   You have two options for the key.

   NFC sticker: buy NTAG213 stickers from any online store, stick one where you want the key, and pair it with the profile inside the app.

   QR code: no sticker? The app can work with a QR code you print at home and stick up.

   Follow the pairing steps as the app shows them.

   Tip: Print a spare QR and keep it somewhere far away in case you lose one, never next to your bed.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Have a 3D printer? Print a block for the key

   If you want something close to the Brick, print a small block and put the NFC sticker inside it.

   Search Printables or MakerWorld for NFC tag holder and pick a design that fits the size of your sticker. The developer behind Open Blocker says he shared a printable file for the block too.

   Not required at all. The sticker on its own or the paper QR works the same way.

   Tip: Put the sticker in before you close the block, and check your phone reads it from the outside before you glue it.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Put the key far away

   This is where all the difference comes from.

   Put the sticker, the block or the QR in another room, in the car, or by the front door. Anywhere that is not where you usually sit.

   The longer the walk, the fewer times you go back.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Check the strict and emergency settings

   Open the profile settings and look at what the app offers today, such as a strict mode and an emergency exit.

   Keep a clear emergency route, but make it a little annoying so it never becomes a habit.

8. 8

   Step 8

   On Android: know the limits of Open Blocker

   Open Blocker is open source under the MIT license, but right now it is an early alpha for Android only, installed as an APK from the project's GitHub page instead of a store.

   That means it can change or break, and it is not a hard lock like a finished app. Try it if you like experiments, and read the project page before you install.

   Tip: Only install an APK from the project's official page, never from a mirror site.

Ready prompts to copy

I want to cut [app] from [number] hours a day. I have an app that locks it and the key is in [place]. Give me a seven day plan: when to lock, when to allow myself, and what to do instead of opening the app.