How to block Instagram on iPhone: the app, Safari, and a middle option (2026)

Block the Instagram app with an App Limit (iOS 26)

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time. If App & Website Activity is off, turn it on.
2. Tap App Limits, then Add Limit.
3. Tap the category name to see its apps, select Instagram, then tap Next.
4. Set the amount of time allowed (tap Customize Days for different days) and save the limit.
5. Set a Screen Time passcode: in Screen Time, scroll down and tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
6. Open the Instagram limit again and turn on Block at End of Limit.

Apple says that by default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once they are reached. Without the passcode and Block at End of Limit, the limit is a reminder you can tap past.

Block Instagram at set hours with Downtime (iOS 26)

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Downtime.
2. Tap Scheduled, choose Every Day or Customize Days, and set the start and end times. For today only, tap Turn On Downtime Until Tomorrow.
3. With a Screen Time passcode set, turn on Block at Downtime. Apps then can't be opened during downtime and appear dimmed with an hourglass icon.

Apps in Always Allowed stay available during downtime, so check that Instagram is not on that list (Settings > Screen Time > Always Allowed).

Block instagram.com in Safari (iOS 26)

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, and turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content.
3. Select Limit Adult Websites.
4. Under Never Allow, tap Add Website and enter instagram.com.

App Limits are set for apps and this list is for websites, so if you want neither to open, set both.

If your iPhone is on iOS 27

For iOS 27, Apple's guide describes Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedules instead of App Limits and Downtime. Apple says they need iOS 27 or later on all your Apple devices.

• Time Allowances: Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances. Set time for a category such as Social Media, or tap Manage Categories to add one. If an app declares an associated website, the allowance applies to both.
• Screen Time Schedule: Settings > Screen Time > Screen Time Schedule, turn on Schedule, tap Add Schedule, pick the days, then choose which categories are available in each time window.
• Passcode: Settings > Screen Time > Manage Screen Time > Lock Screen Time Settings.

We could not find steps in Apple's iOS 27 iPhone User Guide for blocking one website for yourself (checked 2026-10-23). For a child in Family Sharing, a parent can go to Settings > Family > the child's name > Apps & Websites, select the app or website, and tap Block App or Block Website.

Delete the Instagram app

1. Touch and hold Instagram on the Home Screen or in App Library.
2. Tap Remove App, then Delete App.
3. Tap Delete to confirm.

Remove from Home Screen only moves the app to App Library, where it still opens. Deleting removes the app and its data from your iPhone, not your Instagram account. It is also the easiest block to undo: you can download Instagram again in a minute, and instagram.com still opens in Safari.

The catch: blocking Instagram also blocks your DMs

Every method above works on the whole app or the whole website. When Instagram is blocked, so are your DMs and group chats. Screen Time can't block only Reels or Explore.

Screen Time is also easy to undo by yourself. The passcode is only asked for when you change the settings, so if you chose it, you can type it in and remove the limit. If you want a block you can't lift on a whim, ask a friend or family member to set the passcode. Keep in mind that if you set up Screen Time Passcode Recovery, your Apple Account can reset a forgotten passcode.

The middle option: keep DMs and hide only Reels with minulo

No app can change what is inside the official Instagram app. minulo opens Instagram's website inside its own app with the parts you choose hidden: Reels and Explore tabs, suggested posts, Stories, or every tab but DMs. Messages, your feed and your own posts keep working.

1. Install minulo from the App Store.
2. On the home screen, tap Add a service and choose Instagram. You log in on Instagram's own login page.
3. Tap the gear next to Instagram and turn on what you want to hide.
4. To stop the official app too, open the Block tab, allow Screen Time and choose Instagram in Apps to block. When you tap the Instagram icon, a Blocked screen appears with an Open in minulo button.

Free and Pro. Hiding is free and stays on until you turn it off. Locking the official app is free for up to 2 hours per block, and you can start another block right away. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, blocks longer than 2 hours, Hard Mode (turning a block off takes a few minutes on purpose) and multiple block lists. While minulo blocks the official app, its notifications don't arrive, so lock it at times when you can miss them, such as while studying or at night.

How do I block Instagram on my iPhone?

Use Screen Time. On iOS 26, go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits, add a limit for Instagram, set a Screen Time passcode and turn on Block at End of Limit. On iOS 27, use Time Allowances and Screen Time Schedule instead. You can also delete the app, but that is the easiest block to undo.

How do I block Instagram in Safari?

On iOS 26, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on. Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games > Web Content, select Limit Adult Websites and add instagram.com under Never Allow. On iOS 27, a Time Allowance also applies to a website the app declares as associated.

Can I block Instagram but keep my DMs?

Not with Screen Time, which blocks the whole app, DMs included. Use an app that opens Instagram with Reels and Explore hidden. In minulo this is free and DMs keep working, and minulo can lock the official app with Screen Time for free for up to 2 hours per block.

Why does Instagram still open after my time limit?

By default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once they are reached. Set a Screen Time passcode and turn on Block at End of Limit. Also check that Instagram is not in Always Allowed and that you are not using instagram.com in Safari.

Can I block Instagram so that I can't undo it myself?

Only if someone else knows the passcode. If you set the Screen Time passcode yourself, you can enter it and remove the block, so ask a friend or family member to choose it. In minulo, Hard Mode (Pro) makes turning a block off take a few minutes on purpose.

Sources

1. Apple: Set schedules with Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 26)
2. Apple: Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases on iPhone (iOS 26)
3. Apple: Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances on iPhone (iOS 27)
4. Apple: Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode (iOS 26)
5. Apple: Create, change, or remove a Screen Time passcode (iOS 27)
6. Apple: Remove or delete apps from iPhone
7. Apple: Set up parental controls to manage your child's iPhone or iPad
8. App Store (US): minulo