I build one of the apps in this post (minulo), so read the comparison with that in mind. I tried to describe every option from its own App Store page, and I note where another app does something better.
The problem
You want Instagram for group chats and DMs, YouTube for search and the channels you follow. You do not want Reels, Shorts, TikTok's For You or the "suggested for you" posts in between.
On iPhone this is harder than it sounds. iOS does not let one app change what another app shows. Screen Time can only block or limit a whole app. So every solution below is a workaround of some kind.
Five ways to do it
1. Screen Time alone
Settings > Screen Time > App Limits can cap Instagram or YouTube at a few minutes a day, or block them.
- Good: built in, free, nothing to install.
- Bad: it limits the whole app. When the limit hits, your DMs go too. Most people tap "Ignore limit" after a week.
2. YouTube's own Shorts limit
YouTube now lets you set a daily limit for the Shorts feed, and you can set it very low.
- Good: it is inside the official YouTube app.
- Bad: YouTube only. Nothing similar exists for Instagram Reels.
3. A Safari extension (e.g. ScrollGuard)
You use instagram.com and youtube.com in Safari, and an extension hides Reels, Stories, Explore and other sections. ScrollGuard (114 US ratings, 4.2 stars as of Oct 20 2026) works this way, with a toggle for each element.
- Good: fine-grained toggles, and Safari's own login.
- Bad: you have to stop opening the official apps, which is the habit you are fighting.
4. An app with its own browser for social sites
These apps open each network's website inside the app and hide the addictive parts. DMs, search and the accounts you follow keep working. Examples, from their App Store pages:
| App | US ratings (Oct 20 2026) | What it says it does |
|---|---|---|
| SocialLite | 12,679 (4.7) | Removes short-form feeds, recommendations, Explore, live and shopping tabs, and ads. Keeps DMs and profiles you visit. By far the most reviewed. |
| UNDOOMED | 107 (4.3) | 7 networks. Has a Messages Only mode for Instagram. |
| Scroll Less | 23 (4.4) | Opens platforms in "distraction-free WebViews" and removes algorithmic feeds. |
| Stillfeed | 0 | Instagram and YouTube, free. Shows weekly "blocked" stats. |
| minulo (mine) | 0 in the US | 10 networks. Hiding is free. Can lock the official apps with Screen Time (see 5). |
- Good: you keep using the parts you need, and nothing is blocked outright.
- Bad: it is the website, not the native app. Some native features are missing, and DM notifications usually do not work the way they do in the official app. You also log in again inside each app.
5. Combine Screen Time with an in-app browser
This is the setup I ended up building into minulo:
- Screen Time locks the official Instagram, YouTube or TikTok app.
- When you tap the official icon out of habit, the block screen shows an "Open in minulo" button.
- That opens the same network without Reels, Shorts or For You, and your DMs are there.
The point is to meet the habit where it happens, the tap on the icon, instead of relying on willpower.
What I learned from the first month
minulo has been out since September 2026, and I published anonymous numbers from the first month: https://minulo.app/en/reels-shorts-data-2026.html
- Of the people who told us their age, 87% are 24 or younger. Most of them are students.
- About 70% open Instagram first.
- People who opened a network inside the app 10 or more times on day one were far more likely to still be using it a week later than people who opened nothing. The first day decides most of it.
Which one to pick
- If you only care about YouTube Shorts, start with YouTube's own limit (2).
- If you mostly use social sites in Safari anyway, try a Safari extension (3).
- If you need Instagram for DMs and keep reopening the official app, an in-app browser (4), ideally locked behind Screen Time (5), works best.
- If you want the most reviewed option, that is SocialLite today.
I keep a longer, neutral list of apps and settings on GitHub, ordered by rating count: https://github.com/ayumu-kitabayashi/awesome-reels-shorts-blockers
A full comparison table is also on my site: https://minulo.app/en/alternatives.html
If you have tried one of these and it stuck (or didn't), I'd like to hear why in the comments.
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