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Can locking your phone apps ease the pregnant mind?

NCT ID NCT07812506

Symptom relief Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital are testing whether a hardware device that blocks social media apps can improve mental health during pregnancy. The study enrolls 70 pregnant people who use social media at least 30 minutes a day. Half receive the Brick device to restrict selected apps for two weeks, while the other half continue their usual phone use. The team measures changes in depression, anxiety, well-being, loneliness, sleep, and physical activity.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a hardware device that blocks social media apps until the user physically unlocks it
What this could lead to
If blocking social media helps, it could give pregnant people a simple, drug-free way to protect their mental health. It could also shape advice about screen time during pregnancy.
What could go wrong
The study is small, with 70 participants, and lasts only a few weeks, so any benefits may not last. People who agree to block their apps may already be motivated to change, which can skew the results.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 70 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age ≥18 years 2. Pregnant, with a viable pregnancy at 20-24 weeks' gestation 3. English fluency 4. Daily use of a personal iOS smartphone (iOS 17 or later). 5. Average social media screen time of at least 30 minutes per day, verified at enrollment via the iOS Screen Time report. Exclusion Criteria: 1\. Non-viable pregnancy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Internet Addiction Disorder Psychological Well-Being

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Pregnancy

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

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