Instagram without Reels. YouTube without Shorts.
It's an app. $14.99/year. 7-day free trial.
Roundup · April 2026
"Limiting social media" covers several different goals: removing Reels and Shorts, reducing time on apps, adding friction before opening, or blocking access entirely. Different apps solve different problems.
This page covers the best option for each goal. Prices and features verified April 2026.
Keep using social media, but remove the short-form content (Reels, Shorts) and algorithmic feeds that turn 5 minutes into 45. Best for: users who want to keep Instagram for DMs and followed accounts.
→ Dull or UNDOOMEDSet a daily cap on how long you spend on each platform. When the limit hits, access is cut off. Best for: users who have no problem with content but spend too many total hours.
→ Dull (with time limits), Opal, or Apple Screen TimeAdd a mandatory pause before apps open. Interrupts automatic, mindless opening without blocking or filtering content. Research: Max Planck Institute found 57% fewer opens.
→ one sec or Dull (friction gates)Prevent access to apps entirely during scheduled or manually started sessions. When the block is active, the app cannot be opened. Best for: productivity focus, workplace use.
→ Opal or Apple Screen TimeDull is the most complete tool for people who want to keep using social media without the compulsive parts. It removes Reels from Instagram, Shorts from YouTube, the algorithmic "For You" feed from Facebook and X, and suggested content across all four platforms. Beyond content filtering, it adds time limits per platform, quiet hours (no Instagram after 10pm), grayscale mode, friction gates, and usage tracking.
Everything runs on-device — no VPN, no account required beyond your existing social accounts, no data sent to external servers. $3.99/month or $14.99/year. 7-day free trial.
UNDOOMED is the closest competitor to Dull: same in-app browser mechanism, removes Reels and Shorts, strips algorithmic feeds. It supports 6 platforms (adding Reddit and LinkedIn), has a free tier, and works on Android. Its "Clarity Score" and wellbeing framing are either motivating or annoying depending on the user. No grayscale, no quiet hours, no commitment delay.
one sec does not filter social media content — it adds a breathing pause before any app launches. A Max Planck Institute study found a 57% reduction in app opens. Works with any app via iOS Shortcuts. Free for 1 app, $14.99/year for all. Pairs well with Dull — one sec intercepts the impulsive reach, Dull handles the content once you decide to actually open it.
Opal blocks apps entirely via a VPN profile. 4 million+ users. Deep Focus is unbypassable even if you delete the app. Works on any app or website. $99.99/year — 6.7× more than Dull. Opal does not filter content; when the block ends, Reels are still there.
Instagram does not let you disable Reels through its own settings. The best you can do is hit "Not Interested" repeatedly or hide individual Reels — neither removes them permanently.
The most reliable method: Use Dull. It opens the real Instagram mobile site in a filtered browser and removes the Reels section before the page renders. Reels are not just hidden — they are not on the page. You cannot accidentally tap one because it is not there.
Dull costs $3.99/month or $14.99/year. 7-day free trial. The filter runs locally on your device using CSS and JavaScript injection — there is no server that sees your Instagram content.
It's an app. $14.99/year. 7-day free trial.