The best free way I know to use Instagram for DMs only on iPhone is minulo, the app I built. It opens Instagram inside the app with a setting called "Every tab but DMs", and it hides Reels for free. With that setting on, only your DMs and the notifications tab stay, and Reels, Explore, the home feed and suggested posts are gone. It has limits you should know before you install it: it can't change the official Instagram app, its free lock on the official app lasts up to 2 hours at a time, it's iPhone only on phones (no Android yet), and while the official app is locked, Instagram's notifications don't arrive.
I'm Ayumu Kitabayashi, the solo developer of minulo, so I'm not neutral. Below I explain how to set it up, then the built-in options and other apps, and what each one can't do. Facts about other apps come from their US App Store pages as checked on 2026-10-23. Prices can change.
Why this is harder than it sounds
Instagram has no built-in "messages only" mode. Adults can switch to the Following feed or set a daily time reminder, but the Reels tab and Explore stay. iPhone Screen Time can only limit the whole Instagram app, so once the limit kicks in, your group chats are blocked along with the Reels.
The free way: minulo with "Every tab but DMs"
- Install minulo from the App Store.
- Open Instagram inside minulo and log in on Instagram's own login page. minulo does not receive or store your password.
- In minulo's settings for Instagram, turn on Every tab but DMs.
- Optional: let minulo lock the official Instagram app with Screen Time. When you tap the usual Instagram icon, a "Blocked" screen appears with an "Open in minulo" button, which takes you to the DMs-only version. This helps if you open Instagram out of habit.
Group chats are part of Instagram DMs, so they keep working. You don't have to delete the official Instagram app.
If you want more than DMs, you can hide things one at a time instead, such as only the Reels and Explore tabs and suggested posts, and keep your friends' posts. TikTok has the same "Every tab but DMs" setting.
What's free
Hiding Reels, Explore and suggested posts, the DMs-only setting, and locking the official app (up to 2 hours per block, and you can start another when one ends) are all free. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, blocks longer than 2 hours, Hard Mode and multiple block lists. In the US it's $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
Its limits
- It can't change the official Instagram app. Reels are hidden only inside minulo.
- While minulo locks the official app, Instagram's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends no push notifications of its own. If you need notifications, leave the official app unlocked and reply inside minulo.
- Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available, because Instagram's website doesn't have them. "Take a break" opens the official app for the minutes you choose.
- On Instagram, Explore and Reels share one switch.
- iPhone only on phones. There's a Mac app and Chrome and Safari extensions, but no Android version yet.
- It launched in September 2026 and has few ratings.
The built-in alternatives
The Instagram app as it is
DMs work, but the Reels tab is always there. Instagram has no setting to hide it for adult accounts.
iPhone Screen Time on Instagram
Free and built in. App Limits and Downtime can limit Instagram, and with a Screen Time passcode and Block at End of Limit turned on, it's the strictest free option. The catch is that it limits the whole app, so DMs are blocked too. It can't target Reels only.
instagram.com in Safari
You can use Instagram's website in Safari with a content-blocker extension. DMs work there, and Reels and the feed can be hidden, but only while you remember to use Safari instead of the app.
Other apps that hide Reels for free
There are other good options, and some may suit you better.
- Nope is completely free, with no subscriptions or in-app purchases. It's a Safari extension for instagram.com and youtube.com, so it only works in Safari, not in the Instagram app.
- Stillfeed opens Instagram and YouTube in its built-in browser. Blocking Reels and Shorts is free. Its DMs-only mode and following-only feed are Pro.
- Reelmute opens networks inside the app and hides Reels, Shorts and For You. Hiding Reels and Shorts is free. DMs-only, hiding suggested posts and locking the original apps are Premium.
- Awhile loads instagram.com in its own browser. Filtering is free, and it covers Instagram only. Premium is €2.99/month or €9.99 once.
All of these say DMs keep working while Reels are hidden. The main differences are which features are free. In minulo, the DMs-only setting and locking the official app are free, and it covers 10 networks (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn and Snapchat).
Which one should you pick?
- You want Instagram for DMs and group chats only, in an app, for free: minulo with "Every tab but DMs".
- You only use Instagram in Safari and want everything free with no purchases at all: Nope.
- You want a hard stop and don't mind losing DMs while it's on: iPhone Screen Time with a passcode.
- You use Android: none of the iPhone apps above will help, including minulo.
Short answers
Does Instagram have a messages-only mode? Not that I could find. The Reels tab and Explore stay for adult accounts.
Will I still get my group chats in minulo? Yes. Group chats are part of DMs, and DMs keep working in the DMs-only view.
Do I have to delete the official Instagram app? No. minulo can lock it with Screen Time and open its own DMs-only Instagram when you tap the icon.
The full steps are on this page: How to use Instagram for DMs only on iPhone. If you want to compare more free options, see free apps to block Reels and Shorts.
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