How to stop being addicted to Reels without deleting Instagram (iPhone, 2026)
This page is about one habit, Instagram Reels. Make Reels hard to reach and keep the parts of Instagram you need: minulo hides Reels, Explore and suggested posts while your DMs keep working; hiding is free.
People search for "Reels addiction" when an hour disappears into the feed. This page uses the word the way people search it; it is not a diagnosis. A 2025 meta-analysis in Psychological Bulletin covering 71 studies and 98,299 participants linked heavier short video use with poorer cognition, including attention, and with more anxiety and stress. Most of those studies were snapshots in time, so they show a link, not proof that Reels cause it. Instagram has no setting to turn off Reels, so the steps below change how easy they are to reach.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. Sources are linked below and were checked on 2026-11-02. This page is not medical advice. If phone use is causing you serious distress, talk to a doctor or counselor.
| Step | What it changes | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Check Screen Time | You see your real Instagram time and pickups | Numbers only |
| Turn off Instagram notifications | Fewer prompts to open the app | DM alerts stop too |
| Downtime + Block at Downtime | Instagram is dimmed at the hours you set | Blocks DMs too, unless you allow Instagram |
| minulo | Reels, Explore and suggested posts are not shown; DMs work | Only inside minulo. Lock the official app too |
Why it is hard to stop
The next Reel starts as soon as you swipe, there is no last one, and the feed adjusts to what you just watched. We go through each of these in why Reels and Shorts are so hard to stop watching. Willpower has to win every swipe; changing the setup only has to work once.
Check your real numbers
On iOS 27, go to Settings › Screen Time › Daily Average, tap Week and look at Instagram in your most used apps, then scroll down to Pickups. Write down this week's number so you can compare next week.
Fewer prompts, fixed hours
Go to Settings › Notifications › Instagram and turn off Allow Notifications, or put it in a Scheduled Summary. Then, on iOS 26, schedule Downtime under Screen Time, set a Screen Time passcode and turn on Block at Downtime so Instagram is dimmed at night or during study hours. Apple says limits can be ignored by default, so the passcode step matters.
Keep Instagram, lose Reels (minulo)
- Check your numbers. On iOS 27, open Settings, Screen Time and Daily Average, and note your Instagram time and Pickups.
- Hide Reels in minulo. Install minulo, sign in to Instagram inside it, and turn off Reels, Explore and suggested posts. DMs and your following feed keep working. Hiding is free.
- Lock the official Instagram app. In minulo's Block tab, allow Screen Time and choose Instagram. A free block lasts up to 2 hours, and you can start another when it ends.
- Reply to DMs in minulo. Reels friends send you open only after a pause, if you choose to watch.
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.
How do I stop being addicted to Reels?
Make Reels harder to reach rather than relying on willpower: hide Reels in minulo and use Instagram there for DMs, lock the official app, turn off Instagram notifications and set Downtime with Block at Downtime for your weakest hours.
Can I turn off Reels on Instagram?
Instagram has no setting to turn off Reels. minulo hides Reels, Explore and suggested posts inside its own view while DMs keep working.
Do I have to delete Instagram to stop watching Reels?
No. With minulo you keep DMs, your following feed and search, and the Reels tab isn't shown.
Are Reels bad for your brain?
A 2025 meta-analysis of 71 studies linked heavier short video use with poorer attention and more anxiety and stress. Most studies were cross-sectional, so it shows a link, not cause.
Is minulo free?
Downloading minulo and hiding Reels and Shorts are free. Locking the official apps is free for up to 2 hours per block. minulo Pro adds longer blocks, schedules and Hard Mode.
Sources
- Nguyen L. et al. (2025). Feeds, feelings, and focus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use. Psychological Bulletin 151(9)
- Apple: Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone (iOS 27)
- Apple: Set schedules with Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 26)
- Apple: Change notification settings on iPhone (iOS 26)
- minulo: What minulo can't do
- App Store (US): minulo