minulo is an iPhone app that opens Instagram with Reels, Explore and suggested posts hidden while your DMs and group chats keep working, and hiding is free, with no subscription and no time limit. I'm the developer of minulo, so read the comparison below with that in mind.
What minulo gives you without paying, item by item: Block Reels and Shorts for free on iPhone
Why this list exists
Search for a way to block Instagram Reels but keep your DMs on iPhone, and most of the results are App Store pages. Almost every one of them says "free". What you actually get without paying is very different from app to app, and the App Store page often doesn't spell it out.
So this post only lists what each app's own App Store page or website says. Facts about other apps were checked between 2026-10-27 and 2026-11-05. Where a page says nothing, I leave it out or write "not stated". Features and prices change, so look at the listing before you install anything.
The short answer
- Hide Reels and keep DMs without paying: minulo, Unfeed, Stillfeed and Nope all say this part is free. UNDOOMED is a free download, and its listing says advanced filters need Pro. Scroll Less and SocialLite list in-app purchases, but their pages don't say which features are free.
- A DMs-only view without paying: minulo's Every tab but DMs (Instagram and TikTok) is free. Unfeed's DMs only, Stillfeed's DMs Only and UNDOOMED's Messages Only are in their paid plans. Nope doesn't mention one.
- Stop the official Instagram app from pulling you back in: minulo can lock it with Screen Time for free, up to 2 hours per block. In Unfeed, locking the real apps is part of Pro.
Side by side
| App | How it works | Networks | Free, per its page | DMs-only view | Paid plan (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| minulo | Opens each network's website inside the app | 10: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat | Hiding Reels, Shorts, Explore and suggested posts on all 10; locking the official apps up to 2 hours per block | Every tab but DMs (Instagram, TikTok), free | Pro $9.99/month or $39.99/year |
| Unfeed: Block Reels & Shorts | Opens Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X without the feed | 4 | Instagram Reels and Explore, TikTok For You, YouTube Shorts, X For You; Focus now, Pause before opening, achievements, a widget | DMs only, in Pro | Unfeed Pro, listed at $5.99 and $49.99 |
| Nope | A Safari extension for instagram.com and youtube.com | 2 | Everything. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no ads | Not mentioned | None |
| UNDOOMED | Opens each network's mobile website in its own private browser | 7 (TikTok and Snapchat listed as unavailable) | Free download; advanced filters need Pro | Messages Only (Instagram, LinkedIn), in Pro | Pro |
| Scroll Less | A Blocker inside the official Instagram and YouTube apps, plus a website mode | Blocker: Instagram and YouTube apps. Websites: Instagram, YouTube, Reddit | Not stated | Not stated; DMs keep working | In-app purchases from $4.99 to $49.99 |
| SocialLite | Opens social media in its own view | Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Reddit and others | Not stated | Not stated | Pro $6.99 to $17.99/month or $19.99 to $47.90/year; Family $12.99/month |
| Stillfeed | Opens 7 networks in its built-in browser | 7: Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit, Snapchat, LinkedIn, TikTok | Instagram's Reels tab, Reels in the feed, Explore and suggested posts; YouTube Shorts; TikTok For You and LIVE sent to Following; weekly stats | DMs Only (Instagram, X), in Pro | $2.99/week, $5.99/month or $44.99/year |
Each app in a few lines
minulo
minulo opens Instagram's own website inside the app and hides the parts you switch off: Hide the Reels tab, Hide Explore and Suggested posts. DMs and group chats keep working. Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs and notifications, and TikTok has the same setting. In the Block tab you can lock the official Instagram app with Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block. Tapping the icon then shows a block screen with an Open in minulo button.
Limits: minulo shows Instagram's website, so posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available. While minulo locks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends no notifications of its own. There is no Android version. Pro ($9.99/month or $39.99/year in the US) adds Sleep mode (the same bedtime and wake time every day), Hard Mode, a Daily limit and blocks longer than 2 hours. minulo launched in September 2026 and had 1 US rating on 2026-11-05.
Unfeed: Block Reels & Shorts
By Greenbird Company Limited, released 2026-09-29. Its listing says Instagram Reels and Explore, TikTok For You, YouTube Shorts and X For You are blocked for free, while DMs, search, profiles, the people you follow and posting still work. Hiding suggested posts and ads, DMs only, locking the real apps, schedules and Sleep are part of Unfeed Pro. It also has free extras minulo doesn't: a focus timer, a pause before apps open, streak achievements and a Home Screen widget. English only, iOS 17 or later, 0 US ratings on 2026-11-05. Unfeed: Scroll Blocker is a different app.
Nope
A Safari Web Extension by Adrien Blanc. It hides Reels, Explore, "Suggested for you" and more on instagram.com, and Shorts, recommendations and comments on youtube.com, with 17 switches in total. It has no paid plan at all, and its privacy label says Data Not Collected. It only works in Safari, so the official Instagram app is unchanged. It has iPad support and a Chrome extension for computers. 3 US ratings.
UNDOOMED
Opens Instagram, Threads, Reddit, Facebook, X, YouTube and LinkedIn in its own private browser. It has hourly or daily caps with an optional PIN, and a Clarity Score. Messages Only for Instagram and LinkedIn is Pro. It is the only one here with an Android version, and it has 108 US ratings with an average of 4.3.
Scroll Less
By Quintana Labs LLC. It works differently from the rest: its Blocker blocks Reels and Shorts inside the official Instagram and YouTube apps, with iOS asking you to start a broadcast for Scroll Less while the Blocker is on. Its App Store page says DMs, story replies, search and commenting on your own posts still work. TikTok isn't mentioned. Neither its App Store page nor its website says which features work without paying. 25 US ratings, average 4.5.
SocialLite
The most established app of this kind, with 16,883 US ratings and a 4.7 average (checked 2026-11-04). It opens social media in its own view, removes short-form video feeds, recommendations and Explore, keeps DMs, and can block the official apps and send you to SocialLite. It is the only one here with push notifications for Instagram and Snapchat. TikTok isn't mentioned on its App Store page, and its description doesn't say which features are free.
Stillfeed
Opens Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit, Snapchat, LinkedIn and TikTok in its built-in browser. A lot is free on all 7 networks, including a weekly "blocked this week" count. DMs Only on Instagram and X, quiet hours and a daily limit are Pro. It leaves the official apps unchanged and asks before sending you to them. 0 US ratings on 2026-11-02.
Which one fits
- You want a DMs-only Instagram and don't want to pay: minulo.
- You only use Instagram and YouTube in Safari and want no paid plan at all: Nope.
- You use Android too: UNDOOMED.
- You want to stay in the official Instagram app: Scroll Less.
- You can't live without Instagram notifications: SocialLite.
- You use TikTok, Threads, Facebook or Pinterest too: minulo covers all of them. Unfeed and Stillfeed cover TikTok but not Threads, Facebook or Pinterest.
FAQ
Is hiding Reels in minulo really free?
Yes. Hiding Reels, Explore and suggested posts, Every tab but DMs, and locking the official apps for up to 2 hours per block are free, with no time limit. Pro is optional.
Does any of these change the official Instagram app?
Only Scroll Less says it blocks Reels inside the official app. The others show Instagram in their own view or in Safari. minulo doesn't change the official app, but it can lock it so the icon leads to the Reels-free view.
Can I still watch a Reel a friend sends me?
In minulo, a Reel opened from a DM stops before the Reels feed starts. Open for 5 min lets you watch it, and blocking turns back on by itself.
Top comments (0)