The Doorpost › A Brick alternative that unlocks with a verse instead of a tap
A Brick alternative that unlocks with a verse instead of a tap
Brick is a small physical device: you tap your iPhone on it to block your chosen apps and tap again to unblock them, so the friction is having to walk to the Brick. The Doorpost is a software-only alternative for Christians: the apps you chose stay closed until you write out a verse from your own Bible, so the friction is Scripture. It is free to download, has no account and makes no network requests. Both use Apple's Screen Time underneath.
Two kinds of friction
Brick's idea is physical distance. Leave the Brick at home and your apps stay blocked wherever you go; to unblock, you have to be standing next to it. It is a good design for people who want an all-day block that a moment of weakness on the bus cannot undo.
The Doorpost's idea is a cost you would choose anyway. Instead of going to a device, you go to your Bible, name a verse, and type it across. The apps open for the rest of the day and close again tomorrow. It is a good design for people whose problem is mostly the morning, and who want the unlock itself to be worth something.
What you have to buy and carry
Brick is hardware. You buy the device once, keep it somewhere, and its app runs on the phone. Lose it or travel without it and you rely on the app's own escape options.
The Doorpost is only an app. There is nothing to buy to get started and nothing to carry; a Bible and a pen on the kitchen table are the whole kit. The app itself is free to download and free to use for writing a verse to unlock; the full version, with unlimited apps, categories, websites and a custom reset time, is $2.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $19.99 once.
Bypasses, honestly
Every Screen Time app can be removed by deleting it or withdrawing the permission in iOS Settings, and The Doorpost does not pretend otherwise. Deleting it unblocks everything and removes what it stored. The friction is the verse, not a lock you cannot open.
Brick's strength is that its normal unlock requires the physical tap; check its current listing for how emergency unlocks work, since the details change between versions. If you need a block you truly cannot undo away from home, a physical device is the more honest answer to that need.
Accounts and data
The Doorpost has no account, no analytics, no advertising and no tracking, and it makes no network requests at all beyond the App Store. The Bible text is bundled. Your verses and day count live only on your device.
For Brick, read its App Store privacy label and website, which are the authoritative source for what it collects. It is not fair for us to characterise them here.
Which one, or both
Pick Brick if you want long blocks across the day, you like a physical ritual, and you are not looking for anything Scripture-specific.
Pick The Doorpost if you want the first minutes of the day to belong to the Bible, you would rather not buy hardware, and you want a free way to start. They can coexist: some people use a verse gate in the morning and a physical block for deep work in the afternoon.
Questions people ask
Is The Doorpost a physical device like Brick?
No. The Doorpost is an iPhone app with nothing to buy or carry. Your chosen apps stay closed until you write a verse from your own Bible; Brick keeps them closed until you tap your phone on its device.
Do I need a subscription for The Doorpost?
No. Writing a verse to unlock your day is free in every translation the app carries. The full version is optional and can be bought once for $19.99 rather than as a subscription.
Does The Doorpost block apps all day like Brick?
It blocks them until the verse is written, then they open until your daily reset time and close again for tomorrow. If you want them to stay closed for the whole day, do not write the verse, or use a general focus tool for the afternoon.
Get The Doorpost on the App Store
Last updated: September 2026