How to Block Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts on iPhone

If you've searched for a way to turn off Reels or Shorts, you've probably found the same frustrating answer everywhere: there isn't a switch. Instagram and YouTube both put their short-video feeds front and centre, and neither app lets you remove them.

That doesn't mean you're stuck. This guide goes through every option on iPhone, what each one actually does, and where each one falls short, so you can pick the one that fits.

What Instagram lets you do

Instagram has no setting to hide the Reels tab or stop Reels appearing in your home feed. What you can do:

• Switch to the Following feed. Tap the Instagram logo at the top of the home screen and choose Following. You'll see posts from accounts you follow, newest first. The catch: the app goes back to the recommended home feed the next time you open it, and the Reels tab is still one tap away.
• Mark Reels as "Not interested". This tells the algorithm to show fewer similar videos. It changes which Reels you see, not whether you see them.
• Use Instagram's own time reminders. Instagram's time management settings include daily time reminders and break suggestions. They're reminders, not blocks, and are easy to dismiss.

More detail, including the chronological Following feed: how to turn off Reels on Instagram.

What YouTube lets you do

YouTube is similar: there's no setting that removes Shorts. Your options are:

• Hide the Shorts shelf for a while. On the home feed, open the menu on the Shorts shelf and tell YouTube you're not interested. The shelf disappears for a time, then comes back. The Shorts tab in the bottom bar stays.
• Turn off watch history. With watch history paused, YouTube shows far fewer personalised recommendations on your home page. That makes the home feed less sticky, but it doesn't remove the Shorts tab.
• Use "Take a break" reminders. In YouTube's settings you can set a reminder to take a break after a set amount of time. Like Instagram's, it's a nudge you can dismiss.

More detail, including Shorts time limits: how to turn off YouTube Shorts.

Using iPhone Screen Time

iOS's built-in Screen Time is powerful, but it works at the level of whole apps. It can't tell Reels apart from your DMs.

1. Open Settings → Screen Time → App Limits → Add Limit.
2. Choose Instagram, YouTube, or the whole Social category.
3. Set a daily time, for example 20 minutes, and turn on Block at End of Limit.
4. For a firmer limit, set a Screen Time passcode that someone else chooses.

What it's good for: capping your total time in an app. Where it falls short: it blocks everything at once. When you hit your limit you lose your messages too, which is usually the moment you tap "Ignore Limit". And within the limit, Reels and Shorts are exactly as available as before.

Using Safari instead of the app

Some people delete the apps and use instagram.com and youtube.com in Safari, hoping the websites are less addictive. They're a little clunkier, which adds some friction, but Reels and Shorts are still there on the mobile websites. It's a mild improvement, not a fix.

Removing Reels and Shorts with Stillfeed

We built Stillfeed because none of the options above did what we wanted: keep Instagram and YouTube, lose the endless feeds. Stillfeed is an in-app browser for iPhone. It loads the real instagram.com and youtube.com, signed into your own account, and removes Reels, Shorts and Explore before they're shown on your screen.

What you get for free

• Reels, Shorts and Explore removed from Instagram and YouTube
• Instagram opens to your Following feed, not the algorithmic one
• No trial, no payment and no Stillfeed account needed

What Stillfeed Pro adds (optional)

• Block Stories and the main Feed too
• A DMs-only mode, for when you only want to reply to people
• A daily time limit for Instagram, YouTube and the rest

Stillfeed also opens X, Reddit, Snapchat, LinkedIn and TikTok in the same browser.

How to set it up

1. Download Stillfeed from the App Store and open it.
2. Pick a platform, such as Instagram or YouTube.
3. Log in as you normally would. Your username and password go straight to Instagram or YouTube, never to us.
4. Browse as normal. Reels and Shorts are already gone.

Does it touch my account?

No. Stillfeed isn't an unofficial app that talks to Instagram behind the scenes. It shows Instagram's and YouTube's own websites and hides certain parts of the page on your phone. It never changes your account, followers or posts, and it never records which posts, videos or messages you see or type there. Our privacy policy spells out exactly what does and doesn't leave your device.

One tip to make it stick

Stillfeed only works on the Instagram and YouTube you open inside Stillfeed. If the official apps are still on your home screen, muscle memory will take you there. Put Stillfeed where those apps used to be, and remove the originals from your home screen (long-press → Remove App → Remove from Home Screen), delete them, or give them a strict Screen Time limit.

Which option should you choose?

• You just want to see fewer Reels: use "Not interested" and switch to the Following feed when you open Instagram.
• You want to cut your total time on an app: set a Screen Time app limit with a passcode someone else holds.
• You want to keep messages and friends but lose Reels, Shorts and Explore: use Stillfeed. It's free, and it's the only option on this list that actually removes them.

Many people combine the last two: Stillfeed to remove the endless feeds, plus a Screen Time limit on the official apps so they don't drift back. For more ideas, see 10 strategies to stop doomscrolling.

Common questions

Can you turn off Reels on Instagram?

Not inside the Instagram app. As of October 2026 there's no setting that removes Reels from Instagram. You can make Reels less prominent by switching to the Following feed or marking Reels "Not interested", or remove them by browsing Instagram through Stillfeed.

Can you disable YouTube Shorts permanently?

Not in the YouTube app. Hiding the Shorts shelf is only temporary, and the Shorts tab stays. Stillfeed removes Shorts from YouTube every time you open it, with no setup.

Is Stillfeed really free?

Yes. Removing Reels, Shorts and Explore is free from your first launch, with no trial that runs out. Stillfeed Pro is a separate, optional purchase for extras like Stories and Feed blocking, DMs-only mode and a daily time limit.

Does Stillfeed work on Android?

Not at the moment. Stillfeed is available for iPhone.