Freedom app alternative for iPhone that hides Reels but keeps your DMs (2026)
minulo hides Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok For You inside its own view, so you can still answer DMs, and hiding is free.
Freedom blocks the apps and websites on your blocklist during a session, which also blocks DMs and group chats in those apps. If what you want gone is the Reels and Shorts feed rather than the whole app, minulo is the closer fit. If you want websites blocked in every browser, Freedom does more.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. Facts about Freedom come from its US App Store page and its support site, checked on 2026-11-02. Prices and features can change.
| Freedom | minulo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it stops | Apps and websites on your blocklist, during a session | Reels, Shorts, Explore, suggested posts and For You inside minulo; can also lock the official apps |
| Instagram DMs during a block | Blocked with the app | Work inside minulo |
| How apps are blocked | Apple's Screen Time controls (support site) | iPhone Screen Time |
| Websites | Blocked in all browsers with a local VPN profile | Not blocked. Use minulo's own view instead |
| Price (US App Store) | Free to download. The description says a 7-day trial, then $39.99 a year | Hiding is free. Pro is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year |
| US ratings (2026-11-02) | 4.5 from 6.1K ratings | 1 rating |
What Freedom does on iPhone
The US App Store page for Freedom: Screen Time Control says it blocks the apps and websites on your blocklist during a session, with a pre-made or custom blocklist, sessions you can schedule or repeat, a Locked Mode, and blocks that sync across your devices. Freedom's support site says apps are blocked with Apple's built-in Screen Time controls, and websites through a local VPN configuration called the Freedom Profile, which works across browsers.
That is a good tool if you want the internet quiet for a set time. The catch for many students is that Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok are also where the group chat lives. When Freedom blocks Instagram, the DMs go with it.
When Freedom is still the better pick
Choose Freedom if you need websites blocked across every browser, if you want the same session on your phone and computer, or if you want a full block with no way in. minulo doesn't block websites, and it is built for the opposite case: you keep using Instagram and YouTube for messages and subscriptions, and only the endless feeds are gone.
Replace a Freedom session with minulo
- Open Instagram, YouTube or TikTok inside minulo. Install minulo and sign in to Instagram, YouTube or TikTok on the service's own sign-in page inside minulo.
- Choose what to hide. Turn off Reels, Explore and suggested posts on Instagram, Shorts on YouTube or For You on TikTok, one item at a time. Hiding is free.
- Lock the official apps. In the Block tab, allow Screen Time and choose the official apps. A free block lasts up to 2 hours, and you can start another when it ends.
- Use DMs inside minulo. When you need to reply, tap Open in minulo on the block screen and use your DMs there, with Reels and Shorts hidden.
minulo Pro (US $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year) adds blocks longer than 2 hours, schedules by day and time and Hard Mode.
Limits, so you can decide honestly: Reels and Shorts are hidden only inside minulo, and the official apps don't change. While minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available. minulo is for iPhone, with a Mac version that works in Safari and Chrome, and there is no Android version yet. It is new, with few ratings. See what minulo can't do.
Is there a free alternative to Freedom on iPhone?
Apple's Screen Time is built in: App Limits set a daily amount and Downtime blocks apps on a schedule. minulo is free to download, hides Reels and Shorts for free and locks the official apps for free, up to 2 hours per block.
Does Freedom block Instagram DMs?
Freedom blocks the apps on your blocklist during a session, so Instagram is blocked as a whole, DMs included. minulo hides Reels and keeps DMs working inside its own view.
How does Freedom block apps on iPhone?
Freedom's support site says it uses Apple's built-in Screen Time controls for apps and a local VPN profile for websites.
Can minulo block websites like Freedom?
No. minulo hides Reels, Shorts and other feeds inside its own view and can lock the official apps. It does not block websites in Safari or other browsers.
How much does Freedom cost?
The US App Store page lists Freedom as free to download with subscriptions, and its description says a 7-day free trial, then $39.99 a year. Check the page for current prices.
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