The built-in way is iPhone Downtime with Block at Downtime (Screen Time Schedule on iOS 27), which stops Instagram, TikTok and YouTube from opening at night. Where it falls short is that it blocks whole apps, so Instagram DMs and normal YouTube videos go too, and the in-app options (YouTube's Shorts feed limit, Instagram's Sleep mode) can be dismissed or don't hide anything. The app I built for this is minulo: Instagram and YouTube open inside it with Reels and Shorts hidden for free while DMs and normal videos keep working, and it can lock the official apps at bedtime.
I'm Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo, so weigh the minulo parts accordingly. The iPhone steps come from Apple's iPhone User Guide (iOS 26 and iOS 27). Menu names can change with updates.
In minulo's own anonymous usage data, most social media sessions happen between 8 pm and 1 am (Japan time, where most of the data comes from), usually starting with one tap on Instagram or YouTube in bed.
Built-in settings for the night
- Schedule Downtime. Go to Settings > Screen Time > App & Website Activity and turn it on. Tap Downtime > Scheduled, choose Every Day or Customize Days, and set times such as 11 PM to 7 AM.
- Make it stick. Set a Screen Time passcode, then turn on Block at Downtime. Without it you get a reminder and can keep using the apps. Apple's iOS 27 user guide doesn't list Block at Downtime.
- On iOS 27, use Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule instead: turn on Schedule, tap Add Schedule, make a night window and choose which Time Allowance categories are available in it.
- Check Always Allowed. Anything listed in Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed stays open during Downtime.
- Let Sleep Focus start early. In the Health app, tap Browse > Sleep and set a sleep schedule with wind down. Sleep Focus filters notifications but doesn't block apps.
- Turn down the apps themselves. In YouTube, set the Shorts feed limit to 0 (You > Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit) and turn on the bedtime reminder (profile picture > Settings > General > Remind me when it's bedtime). In Instagram, Sleep mode mutes notifications and auto-replies to DMs. All of these are free, but you can dismiss the YouTube ones, and Sleep mode doesn't hide Reels.
Keep DMs at night but drop Reels and Shorts with minulo
- Install minulo and add Instagram and YouTube with Add a service.
- Tap the gear next to each and hide Reels and Shorts. For YouTube, turn on Hide the Shorts shelf, Hide the Shorts tab and Send Shorts links to the normal player. This is free, and DMs and normal videos stay.
- When you get into bed, lock the official Instagram and YouTube apps in the Block tab with Screen Time. A free block lasts up to 2 hours. If you tap the Instagram icon out of habit, a block screen appears, and Open in minulo takes you to Instagram without Reels.
- If you also use Downtime, add minulo to Always Allowed so it stays open for messages.
With minulo Pro ($9.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US), Sleep mode turns on by itself every night at your bedtime, and during it social media won't open even in minulo. You pick the apps you still need at night and can skip a single night. Pro also adds blocks longer than 2 hours and Hard Mode.
Comparison
| Option | What's hidden or blocked | What stays | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in in-app settings (Shorts limit 0, bedtime reminder, Instagram Sleep mode) | A reminder or muted notifications. Reels and Shorts are still there | Everything, and you can dismiss the YouTube reminders | Free |
| Screen Time Downtime with Block at Downtime | Whole apps, at the times you set | Only apps in Always Allowed. Instagram DMs are blocked too | Free |
| Safari extension (for example Nope) | Reels and Shorts on instagram.com and youtube.com in Safari | Everything else, but only in Safari, and nothing is tied to the night | Nope is free; others are paid or a subscription |
| minulo | Reels, Shorts and suggested posts inside minulo; official apps locked at bedtime | DMs and normal videos inside minulo | Hiding and 2-hour blocks are free; nightly schedule is Pro |
Limits of minulo, honestly: it can't change the official apps, so Reels and Shorts are hidden only inside minulo. While an official app is blocked its notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available. It runs on iPhone and Mac, not Android or iPad.
FAQ
Does Sleep Focus block Instagram or TikTok?
No. It filters notifications and calls, but apps still open. Use Downtime with Block at Downtime, or a lock in minulo.
Can I block Instagram at night but still get DMs?
Not with Screen Time alone, because it blocks the whole app. In minulo you can open Instagram with Reels hidden and lock the official app at night. While the official app is locked, its notifications don't arrive.
Can I turn off YouTube Shorts only at night?
YouTube's help describes no Shorts setting tied to a time of day. The Shorts feed limit applies all day and can be dismissed. In minulo, Shorts are hidden for free at any hour. More in settings that stop YouTube Shorts at night.
Is there a free way to stop scrolling before bed?
Yes. Downtime, Sleep Focus, YouTube's Shorts feed limit and Instagram's Sleep mode are free, and so are hiding Reels and Shorts and 2-hour blocks in minulo. For a block that starts by itself every night, see how to lock apps automatically at night or how to stop scrolling Instagram Reels at night.
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