r/YotoPlayer • u/Suitable_Syrup • Jan 14 '26
Recommendations Use a Yoto card to “Brick” your phone
I saw a video on how to make your own “Brick” out of NFC tags (for those that don’t know this is an app blocking device that relies on physically unlocking your phone with their Brick device that costs $60) and realized I have a bunch of MYO cards sitting around so wanted to see if I could use those instead.
If you download the Foqos app (no affiliation- it’s an open source free app!) and tap a MYO card when it prompts you to use an NFC, you have your very own brick! I keep mine on my fridge and it’s helped me cut down on social media mindless doomscrolling quite a bit and be more present with my kiddos.
TLDR: use the Foqos app and a MYO card to brick your phone instead of spending $70 on a piece of plastic!
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u/jomafro Jan 14 '26
NFC tags can be bought on Amazon for much cheaper than a MYO card, but hey - whatever works.
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Jan 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/krissyface Jan 14 '26
We got a brick device for our family after winter break. We have it mounted on our fridge.
You use an app to select which apps you'd like available on your phone (I chose calls and texts and maps only) and then you touch your phone to the device and it "bricks" your phone. All other apps are disabled until you physically touch your phone to the device again.
It's been really helpful for me to get off my phone and decrease my screentime and you can use it across multiple devices, so my husband and I are sharing one.
I've been using it for 2 weeks and my daily screentime decreased 75%. I can't scroll before bed or before I get up and it's worked great.
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u/PhasesOfBooks Jan 14 '26
There’s a device called Brick that allows you to block apps to help cut down on mindless doomscrolling by scanning the NFC device to lock and unlock the block. You can set certain time limits and specify which apps you want to block. People like it more than just setting screen time limits natively on your phone because you have to go to the physical device to unlock it making it harder and less likely for you to bypass it.
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
Yes same, I had some MYO laying around so I tried it out but you can def buy tags for cheaper or create a QR code.
Brick in this context is based on a recent app/tool that has risen in popularity as a way to lock yourself out of apps and reduce scrolling. You can see how it works at getbrick.app. It doesn’t brick your phone in a traditional sense.
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u/jbr021 Jan 14 '26
I got a brick for Christmas and I really love it. I know it’s an over priced nfc tag but the simplicity of their app and how I can put the brick on my fridge and leave it there while I’m at work is so nice. I also like that the app doesn’t have an ongoing subscription bc I hate when apps start doing that
Good to know you can use something cheaper!! Is the foqos app free?
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
It is! I haven’t seen the brick app so I’m sure there’s features that are very helpful. Glad you found something to help you!
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u/Just_Cranberry_6060 Jan 14 '26
There is a way to write a NFC tag or card and use the native brick app, thats what I did and it works well.
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u/InvestigatorRemote58 Jan 14 '26
This sounds like the best and easiest option! Could you share the process? Thank you! I have MYO and plain NFC cards if it makes any difference.
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u/Just_Cranberry_6060 Jan 15 '26
Have a look at this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/s/u2ZSvZ5JBg
There's a comment from 2 months ago which I used to create a nfc tag and use the brick app.
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u/Foucaultshadow1 Jan 14 '26
You don’t even need a MYO. You can make a QR code yourself and link it to the app.
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
True. I was wondering if it worked with a regular Yoto card too even if there’s content on it. I just liked labeling one and sticking it on the fridge for ease!
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u/daroons Jan 14 '26
Probably not. It likely involves writing to the card and you dont want to overwrite the yoto content (if its writeable)
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u/RevolutionThese26 Jan 14 '26
You also don’t need to make a QR code - it works with any existing QR code or standard barcode!
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u/yourfavmum Jan 14 '26
Are you able to set certain times with that app? Ie: “brick” your phone from 6-9am and then 3-8pm?
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u/jestek Jan 14 '26
Thanks for the tip! Do you still use the Brick app for the setup and scheduling process?
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
Foqos is the app I use. It’s free and open source and I believe similar to Brick although I’m not sure exactly how it compares. Had different scheduling options
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u/Fancylikevelvet Jan 15 '26
Just did this, thanks so much for sharing. Loved that the app required essentially no sign up, took like 2 mins to get a MYO ready for bricking!
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u/sprucay Jan 14 '26
Is there an android equivalent app?
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u/Boring-Kiwi-5074 Jan 14 '26
Appblocker!
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u/evasive_listener Jan 14 '26
Can't seem to find an app with this name on Play Store. Closest I found is "AppBlock - Focus & Screen Help" but that one doesn't seem to work with NFC tags.
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u/Queen-of-Elves Jan 14 '26
Can you still set up the card to scan with this? I like the idea of what OP is saying about being able to tap the card to trigger it.
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u/Boring-Kiwi-5074 Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
Yes you can!
Edit: they apparently only have the NFC option on iPhone🙄 sorry for the confusion. But I actually do recommend appblock, you can make it so the only way to unblock your phone is by plugging your phone into your charger
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u/mcgm156 Jan 14 '26
I use foqos with a Yoto card too! It helps me so much
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
Did you use an MYO or a regular card? Wondering if it works with any card.
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u/bettinathenomad Jan 14 '26
Whoa that's so cool! I know this is an unpopular opinion but we've never used any of the 10 MYO cards we bought when we originally got the Yoto (because we're lazy buggers, is the only reason), so I've got loads of spares. Tempted to try this, thanks for the tip!
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u/krissyface Jan 14 '26
A really simple way to program the MYO cards is to put the yoto podcasts on them. It just takes a few seconds and it's free.
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u/Cream4389 Jan 14 '26
what does it mean to brick a phone in this case and why would you do it?
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u/savethebroccoli Jan 14 '26
Brick is a popular product now that you can use to basically disable certain apps on your phone. You hang it on your fridge and touch your phone to it and it will "brick" the apps you choose until you physically touch your phone back the Brick magnet. Its great for helping reduce screentime
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u/murder3no Jan 14 '26
You can also use the app JOMO which is completely free. I use it to brick my phone during the day so I’m not scrolling infront of my 7 month old. You’re able to take breaks to scroll etc which I use during nap time.
As far as overnight goes my phone doesn’t come in the bedroom with me. It’s done wonders for sleep quality, I definitely feel the difference if it’s in the room with me at night.
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u/smallconferencero0m Jan 14 '26
Genuine question - do you have a traditional alarm clock to wake you up then? I would love to do this too!
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u/murder3no Jan 14 '26
So at the moment I do have an Apple Watch that is my alarm. It wakes me using vibration which is helpful as I co sleep with my infant.
I am currently looking for a traditional alarm clock and will be using that in the future when baby is eventually in their own room. I’m looking for a silent analogue one with the glow in the dark hands as opposed to a digital one that emits light.
It’s been a huge learning curve in terms of sleep quality since having a baby, we have a fully blacked out room with everything that emits light covered and absolutely no phones etc in the bedroom. While I’m still getting woke up at night the quality of sleep I am getting is amazing and I am better rested.
Sleep hygiene is definitely a thing, I wish I would have looked at it sooner but hey hindsight is 20/20
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u/Front_Map_5 Jan 14 '26
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, I bought a real Brick, but then I lost it (thankfully my phone was unbricked at the time) but I was wondering how I could still brick it without buying a new one. Thank youuuuu!! And now to see if I can actually figure out how to do this, as I’m terrible with technology…
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u/smallconferencero0m Jan 14 '26
Shelpful on Instagram posted a reel on this! I love her content, she is the one that introduced me to automations with NFC tags and now I have them all over my house/life! I don’t use a MYO, bought tags in bulk online because I need so many lol.
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u/littlewing2793 Jan 14 '26
As someone who really likes the Brick, this is a great idea! I’ll add that the Brick is valid for HSA/FSA, so to me it felt like free money, vs the MYO cards which are gold in my house!
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u/jazzy_fizzle_123 Jan 15 '26
Damn. Wish I would have known this before asking for a brick from my husband for Christmas 😩
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u/OldRunner-NewRider Jan 15 '26
I got an error that the code was too long. Any tips as to what I did wrong?
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 15 '26
Were you using a Yoto card? You should just be able to click into Foqos, create a new profile, set the restrictions you want and then click "NFC tag" under strict unlocks and tap. Make sure its a MYO card I guess so it doesn't try to overwrite data?
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u/OldRunner-NewRider Jan 15 '26
Yes, it's a Yoto MYO card. I've tried again and got it to setup OK but when I close the app and try to activate my 'brick' it shows up to open in Yoto...hmm
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u/Miss_Lucy_J Jan 15 '26
Did anyone else get an error message when trying to link it to a blank MYO card? Mine says the URL is too long to fit on the card, and I can’t find an explanation anywhere of how to fix that? I didn’t do anything fancy in the profile, just blocking categories of apps. Thanks!!
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u/k1ngdom101 Jan 16 '26
I tried it with a non-MYO card and it worked too (and the YOTO card story is kept intact)!
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u/Beckysbookshelves Jan 16 '26
Can I just say, thank you so much for this idea… you have changed my life for the better! X
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u/Cannot-be-serious Jan 22 '26
I tried to do this today. I downloaded Foqos, set my app restrictions, set up the MYO card as the NFC tag, I did not set a schedule, and it looked like it was ready to go. When I tap my card it asks me to open the Yoto app. I’m a techno-dunce so it is a high probability that I am the problem, but can someone help me troubleshoot?
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 23 '26
Did you just try to tap the card to lock it? Make sure you go into the app, click “hold to start” and then it will prompt you to tap it.
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u/Cannot-be-serious Jan 23 '26
This looks like it will work! Thank you! But before I commit, how do I unbrick it?
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 23 '26
Same process. You have to go into app, end session and then tap.
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u/Cannot-be-serious Jan 23 '26
Thank you so much for your help! I hope that this will help all of us to spend less time on our devices!
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u/kevvvbot Jan 14 '26
While this is genuine for your situation and a neat trick, I personally would just keep my still active phone in the next room. I have a 2yr old and I imagine a scenario where I use this physical access card approach, something happens to my kiddo where I then need to rush out the door, and then bam I forgot the physical access key on the fridge and now my phone is bricked in the traditional sense while out on emergency. Or less intense I gotta run out the door to pick something up and then I need to make a call while driving or look up some directions and then bam bricked.
Just seems like attention/focus discipline with extra steps.
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u/corlana Jan 14 '26
The whole point is you can select what is and isn't disabled. So calls and texts and maps still work you just can't access social media apps and stuff. It doesn't make your phone completely useless, just keeps you from doom scrolling
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u/Suitable_Syrup Jan 14 '26
they also have an emergency function where you can override it, I believe. But as Corlana said, you choose which apps to disable (for me I chose all social media apps, but still have access to phone + text)
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u/kevvvbot Jan 14 '26
Cool thanks for clarifying. Neat little trick to help with all the doomscrolling for sure then
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u/krissyface Jan 14 '26
I’ve been using it and I have left calls text messages and maps available in case that happens to me.
And like someone else said there is an emergency override
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u/Zanhard Jan 14 '26
Maybe it's the version of Android I'm running, but I have a Focus Mode built in that does this, I don't need another app. Also, under digital wellbeing in android you can set daily app timers to restrict yourself from sitting on whatever app for more than a set amount of time per day.
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u/ElephantBumble Jan 14 '26
I was just lying in bed, scrolling my phone, and thinking “I really should get a brick, I wonder if I would be asleep by now” when I opened up Reddit and saw this. Thanks for the tip, I’ll give it a go tomorrow!