Why I built Brake

Hello!

I’m the person who built Brake. I started working on it at the start of 2026, after years of trying blockers that never solved the problem for me. This is the short version of why it exists.

How it started

I built Brake because traditional blockers never solved the real problem for me. I would block websites, browsers, and parts of the internet, but when an urge hit, I would spend hours searching for some crack in the blocklist. My computer became a cage that I was constantly trying to escape from.

A network of websites, apps, feeds, and services marked blocked

What I wanted instead

I wanted a consequence that made even one peek feel not worth it. With Brake, explicit content triggers a full-computer lockout for a period I choose beforehand. Since turning it on full-time, I have stopped thinking about looking for porn on my PC because I know a quick peek could cost me access to the entire computer for several minutes.

The Brake lockout screen over a calm mountain photo, showing the time and when the computer unlocks

How it’s going

The biggest benefit is the freedom it gave me. I can use my computer normally, browse Reddit freely, and stop worrying about blocking every possible route. I am no longer wasting hours fighting my own restrictions or searching for another loophole. Brake helped me stop relapsing on my PC without making the rest of the computer unusable.

Brake overview showing a local commitment active on screen

The founder of Brake

Try Brake for Windows

A quiet pause between impulse and action