6-Pound iPhone Case Goes Viral, And You Can Buy It For $210

A video showing a 6-pound iPhone case went viral on social media, topping 430,000 likes on Instagram in 10 days as of this writing. A man created a stainless steel case for his iPhone, not to prevent accidental damage, but to make it harder to scroll endlessly through social media. The 6-Pound Phone Case is meant to help manage smartphone addiction — which has been proven to have adverse mental health effects – by making it incredibly difficult to use a smartphone for extended periods. The project started with a dumbbell attached to a regular phone case, but that wasn't good enough as the user could easily detach the iPhone from the contraption. That's how the 6-Pound Phone Case was born, an accessory that turns the iPhone into a device that looks like a mobile phone from the '80s. Taking the case off involves unscrewing four screws with an Allen wrench.

That man wasn't just a regular iPhone user passionate about creative do-it-yourself projects. He posted the story below on the Matter Neuroscience Instagram account. "At Matter, me and my teammates are focused on the neuroscience of happiness," he wrote. "While we're focusing on positive emotions we're also interested on issues that suppress our positive emotions. We see the phone is an issue so my boss challenged me to come up with a solution and bring it to market. Here's what I did!"

It turns out that the 6-Pound Phone Case is an actual product that anyone can buy. It's available on Kickstarter, starting at $209.15 per unit, which is more expensive than most iPhone 17 cases usually priced below $30. However, that's the break-even price for the accessory. As of this writing, 87 backers pledged $13,475 towards the campaign's goal of $75,000.

The Kickstarter page explains that the video above was viewed almost 7 million times online, for a total of 6 years, 8 days, and 5 minutes. The creators also note the irony; the point of the case is to prevent scrolling, which is how you get to see viral videos like the one above. Also, Matter says that the 6-Pound Phone Case project started as a joke, but they liked the results, "significant decreases in screen time." The whole thing "sounds dumb, but we think it's actually a solution to phone addiction." The reason the case works is that, unlike other methods of curbing smartphone addiction, the 6-Pound Phone Case actually forces users to reduce smartphone use.

Unlike screen time protections in iOS that an iPhone user can bypass, the 6-Pound Phone Case doesn't limit smartphone use. The camera is accessible, and the apps can be used without a time limit. However, everything is harder to use. Users have to deal with the 6-pound (2.7 kg) weight while using their iPhone. Doomscrolling becomes more difficult as it strains the hands.

Taking the iPhone out for a walk while it's in the 6-Pound Phone Case also becomes difficult. There's no way to place the massive contraption inside pockets or on a lanyard. You'd need a purse or bag to carry the phone, similar to how you lug a laptop around. The downside is that leaving the phone behind means your loved ones might not be able to reach you in emergencies. That said, the 6-Pound Phone Case is available only to iPhone users. It supports regular, Pro, and Pro Max sizes of all iPhone models released since the iPhone 13 series, including the newly launched iPhone 17 models.