Drill Sergeant App

Foqos and Brick on Android: The Tap-to-Block Alternatives

By Fred Smith, maker of Drill Sergeant / Updated / 6 min read

The short answer

Foqos isn't on Android; it's iPhone-only. Brick is, but it needs the $59 Brick device. The Android apps that do the same thing with a cheap NFC sticker are Lock - NFC App Blocker and nfcGuard, both free, and Switchly, which also unlocks with QR codes, schedules or places. If you'd rather not carry a tag at all, Drill Sergeant makes you do 10 push-ups or report real work instead.

Foqos and Brick made the same idea popular: your apps stay blocked until you physically tap something, so unlocking means getting up instead of tapping a button. Foqos is free and has a 4.9 rating from about 5,500 reviews, but it only exists on iPhone[1]. Here's what Android users can use instead, with installs and ratings from Google Play on 23 October 2026. We make Drill Sergeant, one of the options below; we've kept to the facts.

The comparison

AppYou unlock byCostInstalls, rating
Brick[2]Tapping the Brick deviceApp free; device $59[3]100K+, 4.9
Lock - NFC App Blocker[4]Tapping your NFC tagFree5K+, 5.0 (83 reviews)
nfcGuard[5]Tapping your NFC tagFree1K+, too few ratings
Switchly[6]NFC tag, QR code, schedule, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or locationFree; in-app purchases10K+, 4.7
Drill Sergeant[9]10 push-ups or a report of real work, no tag needed$6.99 a month, first 7 days freeNew

Brick: now on Android, if you buy the device

Brick's app is free on Google Play and has more than 100,000 installs[2]. You pick the apps, tap your phone on the Brick to block them, and tap it again to get them back. The device costs $59, once; there is also Brick Night ($129), which blocks apps by Bluetooth zone at bedtime[3]. If you want the polished version and don't mind paying for hardware, this is it.

The free way: an NFC sticker and Lock or nfcGuard

Any NFC sticker tag will do. Put it somewhere inconvenient: another room, a drawer, the front door. Then:

  1. Check that your phone has NFC, and switch it on (search for "NFC" in Settings).
  2. Install Lock or nfcGuard, and choose the apps to block.
  3. Tap the tag to lock them. Tap it again to unlock.

Lock has a 5.0 rating from 83 reviews, with no ads or in-app purchases listed[4]. nfcGuard is newer and explains exactly why it needs Android's Accessibility permission: only to see which app is open, so it can close a blocked one[5]. Most Android blockers rely on that permission; read the privacy policy of any blocker before you grant it.

More control: Switchly

Switchly unlocks with an NFC tag too, but also with a QR code, a schedule, your Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth device or a location, and it can block parts of some apps instead of the whole app. It's free to install, with in-app purchases[6].

Not to be confused with: Foqus

If you searched for "Foqus", there is an Android app called FOQUS: App Blocker & Focus, from a different developer[7]. It's built around blocking and screen time insights rather than tapping a tag, and it has nothing to do with Foqos.

No tag at all: make the scroll cost effort

A tag works because walking to it is a small effort. Drill Sergeant uses a different effort. Open Instagram or TikTok and Captain Jack is waiting: 10 push-ups, counted by your camera, buy 10 minutes; a report of an hour's real work buys 10 minutes; or you close it. Nothing to stick anywhere, and nothing to forget at home. If you want a hard block you can't talk your way past, AppBlock's Strict Mode can lock its own settings[8].

A sticker in the hallway is a good start. Ten push-ups is a better one.

More options in the best app blockers for Android, and on iPhone in the best app blockers for iPhone.

Questions people ask

Is Foqos available on Android?

No. Foqos is on the App Store only; we found no Google Play version on 23 October 2026. On Android, Lock - NFC App Blocker and nfcGuard work the same way (tap an NFC tag to block and unblock), and Switchly adds QR codes, schedules and locations.

Is Brick available on Android?

Yes. Brick - Ditch Distractions is on Google Play with more than 100,000 installs and a 4.9 rating. The app is free, but it only works with the Brick device, which costs $59.

Is Foqus the same app as Foqos?

No. "FOQUS: App Blocker & Focus" on Google Play is a separate app from another developer, built around blocking and screen time insights. Foqos, with an o, is the iPhone app that blocks apps until you tap an NFC tag.

Do I need a Brick to block apps with NFC on Android?

No. Lock, nfcGuard and Switchly work with ordinary NFC sticker tags, and your phone needs NFC switched on. Brick's device is a nicer, sturdier version of the same idea.

Sources

  1. Foqos - Tap to Block, App Store listing (checked 23 October 2026).
  2. Brick - Ditch Distractions, Google Play listing (checked 23 October 2026).
  3. Brick. Product prices (Brick $59.00, Brick Night $129.00).
  4. Lock - NFC App Blocker, Google Play listing.
  5. nfcGuard - NFC Focus Lock, Google Play listing.
  6. Switchly - App Blocker, Google Play listing.
  7. FOQUS: App Blocker & Focus, Google Play listing.
  8. AppBlock Help. Strict Mode on Android.
  9. Drill Sergeant for Discipline, Google Play listing.

Report for duty.

On iPhone and Android. The first 7 days are on me.

Google PlayApp Store

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