Choose who you see
Everyone you follow, a hand-picked list, or Close Friends only. Your feed, your guest list.
iPhone app
Instagram + TikTok
free · no account
Instagram.Minus the Reels.TikTok.Minus the For You.
Your friends, your DMs, your stories, the people you actually chose. The algorithm's feed, gone. Plus a daily time budget that stops you like a mate would.
Also a free browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave and Firefox. Grab it below.
Instagram and TikTok, with the feed switched off.
ReelBlock is a phone app that shows you Instagram and TikTok the way they were before the algorithm: posts from people you follow, your stories, your DMs, and nothing else. No Reels, no For You page, no suggested posts, no ads. Add a daily time budget that actually stops you, a commitment lock you can't talk your way out of, and a rule that lets you watch the one reel a mate sent without falling into the next fifty. Free, no account, nothing leaves your phone.
binned
- Reels tab, in the bar and on every profile
- Scrolling past the reel a mate sent you
- "Suggested reels" carousels
- Explore grid (search still works)
- Everything under "Suggested posts"
- "Suggested for you" accounts
- Sponsored posts
- Threads promo cards
- TikTok For You, Explore, LIVE
- YouTube Shorts, everywhere
kept
- Posts from people you follow
- Stories (hide them if you want)
- DMs, all of them, properly
- Search, profiles, saved, notifications
- TikTok Following feed, messages, profiles
- Posting with music, editing, Close Friends: the Post button hands you to the real app for a moment, then pulls you back
- Your privacy. No account, no server, no analytics inside the app
new
45 minutes.
45 minutes.
Then it's a wall.
Pick a daily budget per app. At 15 minutes you get a nudge. At your limit the screen goes dark and asks if you're done. "5 more minutes" exists, because you're an adult. The commitment lock removes it, because you know yourself.
- Counts only while you're actually looking
- Separate budgets for Instagram and TikTok
- Resets at midnight, no streaks, no guilt
That's 45 minutes on Instagram today.
You set a 45 minute budget. You can have a bit longer, but you'll be asked again.
I'm done for today5 more minutes
15 minutes on Instagram today. Still here for a reason?
Built for people who tried the other apps and went back.
One reel, that's the deal
A mate sends a reel, you watch it. Swipe for the next one and the app goes "nuh uh".
Topic allowance
Still want cheap houses in Italy? Add the words and let five posts a day through. Just those.
Commitment lock
Lock your settings for an hour, a day, a week. No breaks, no toggles, no "just this once". You set the terms when you're clear-headed.
Breaks that end themselves
5, 15 or 30 minutes with everything unblocked. Then it all comes back without you remembering.
TikTok, friends only
For You becomes Following. Explore and LIVE go. Messages and profiles stay. Or block the whole thing.
Posting actually works
Tap Post, land in the official app with music, editing and Close Friends. Ten minutes later ReelBlock taps you on the shoulder.
Nothing leaves your phone
No sign-up, no email, no server. One readable JavaScript file does the work, and you can read it.
Why not the other Reels blockers?
Most of them are a web browser wearing a costume: Instagram's mobile site inside their app with the Reels hidden. It works, until you try to post a video, reply to a DM, or use Close Friends. Then you're back in the real app and the Reels are back with you.
| Typical wrapper app | ReelBlock | |
|---|---|---|
| Posting with music, editing, Close Friends | Broken or limited | Hands off to the real app, pulls you back |
| TikTok | Beta, if at all | Friends-only mode or full block |
| Daily time budget with a hard stop | Rare | Yes, per app, with a nudge first |
| Commitment lock | Sometimes | Up to a week |
| Desktop browser too | No | Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox |
| Account required | Often | Never |
| Price | £4 to £7 a month | Free |
| What runs the blocking | Closed app | One readable file |
iPhone · Android
Get ReelBlock
Get ReelBlock
on your phone.
The iPhone app is in final testing. Leave your email and you get the TestFlight link first, then the App Store version. Android follows.
desktop
Same engine, browser edition.
Chrome, Edge, Brave or Firefox. Download the zip, unzip it, open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode, Load unpacked, pick the folder. Chrome Web Store listing on the way.