minulo takes the "open Instagram in another app" route: it opens Instagram's website inside minulo with Reels, Explore and suggested posts hidden, your DMs keep working, and hiding is free. I'm the developer of minulo, so weigh what follows with that in mind.
There is a second route on iPhone, and it is worth understanding before you pick an app. Scroll Less says it blocks Reels inside the official Instagram app itself. The two routes give you different things and cost you different things. This post lays them out side by side.
Everything about Scroll Less below comes from its App Store pages (US, Japan and Korea, version 3.7.0) and its website, scroll-less.com, checked on 2026-11-04. I haven't tested Scroll Less myself. The full comparison is here: minulo vs Scroll Less
Route 1: block Reels inside the official app
This is what the Scroll Less Blocker does. Its App Store page says it blocks Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts inside the real Instagram and YouTube apps. Its website explains how: when you start the Blocker, iOS asks you to start a broadcast for Scroll Less, and that is how it detects Reels and Shorts. The website says detection runs on your iPhone, nothing on your screen is sent anywhere, and you can stop the broadcast from Control Center.
What you keep, per its App Store page: Instagram DMs, story replies, search and commenting on your own posts. Because you stay in the official app, everything else the app does is still there.
What to know:
- The Blocker covers the Instagram and YouTube apps. TikTok isn't mentioned on its App Store page or website.
- The blocking runs while the Blocker is on, so the broadcast has to be running while you use those apps.
- It needs iOS 17.6 or later, and the App Store lists English as its only language.
- Its App Store page lists in-app purchases from $4.99 to $49.99 (a yearly plan at $29.99 and one-time purchases among them). Neither the App Store page nor the website says which features work without paying.
Scroll Less also has a second mode that opens the Instagram, YouTube and Reddit websites inside Scroll Less with feeds, Explore and related videos hidden. That mode is the other route, described next.
Route 2: open Instagram in another app
This is how minulo works, and SocialLite, UNDOOMED, Unfeed and Stillfeed take a similar approach according to their App Store pages and websites. The app shows Instagram's own website inside itself and hides the parts you don't want. The official Instagram app stays exactly as it is.
In minulo, that means:
- Hide the Reels tab, Hide Explore and Suggested posts are switches, and DMs and group chats keep working.
- Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs and notifications, for Instagram and TikTok. It's free.
- The same idea works on 10 networks: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn and Snapchat.
- Nothing has to keep running in the background while you scroll.
What it costs you:
- You are on Instagram's website, so screens look a little different from the app. Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available in minulo.
- minulo sends no notifications of its own.
- The official app is still on your phone, and your thumb knows where its icon is.
That last point is why minulo can also lock the official app with Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block. Tapping the Instagram icon then shows a block screen with an Open in minulo button that takes you to Instagram without Reels. While an app is locked, its notifications don't arrive. If you don't lock it, the official app is unchanged, notifications included.
Side by side
| Inside the official app (Scroll Less Blocker) | In another app (minulo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you use Instagram | The official Instagram app | Instagram's website inside minulo |
| What has to be on | A broadcast for Scroll Less while the Blocker is on | Nothing in the background |
| Networks | Instagram and YouTube apps (websites: Instagram, YouTube, Reddit) | 10, including TikTok, X and Threads |
| DMs | Kept, per its App Store page | Kept, plus a free DMs-only view |
| Stories posting, voice messages, calls | Not stated on its App Store page | Not available in minulo |
| The official app's icon | Opens the official app, with Reels blocked while the Blocker is on | Can be locked; the block screen leads to minulo |
| What's free | Not stated | Hiding, DMs-only view, locks up to 2 hours |
| Paid options | In-app purchases from $4.99 to $49.99 | Pro $9.99/month or $39.99/year |
| iOS | 17.6 or later | 16.4 or later, plus a Mac app |
| Languages | English | 13 |
| US ratings (early Nov 2026) | 25, average 4.5 | 1 |
How to choose
Pick the official-app route (Scroll Less) if:
- you want to keep using the official Instagram and YouTube apps you already know;
- Instagram and YouTube are the only apps you need help with;
- you're fine keeping a broadcast running while you use them;
- you want someone else to hold a PIN for your settings (its release notes mention an Accountability PIN).
Pick the another-app route (minulo) if:
- you also want TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn or Snapchat without the feed;
- you want hiding and a DMs-only view without paying;
- you'd rather not keep a broadcast running;
- you want the official app's icon to lead somewhere without Reels when you tap it out of habit.
FAQ
Does minulo block Reels inside the official Instagram app?
No. minulo hides Reels in the Instagram it opens inside itself. It can lock the official app with Screen Time, and the block screen's Open in minulo button takes you to Instagram without Reels.
Do my DMs work either way?
Yes. Scroll Less's App Store page says DMs, story replies, search and commenting on your own posts still work. In minulo, DMs and group chats keep working, and Every tab but DMs shows nothing else.
What happens to Reels friends send me?
In minulo, a Reel opened from a DM stops before the Reels feed starts, and Open for 5 min lets you watch it.
Is there an Android version?
minulo has none. Scroll Less's App Store page and website don't mention Android.
What does minulo Pro add?
Sleep mode (the same bedtime and wake time every day), Hard Mode, a Daily limit and blocks longer than 2 hours. Hiding stays free without it.
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