Can you remove the Reels tab from Instagram's bottom bar? (iPhone, 2026)
No. Instagram has not announced a setting that removes or hides the Reels tab, and we found none in the official sources below. Instagram has been moving the other way: in October 2025 its head, Adam Mosseri, said Instagram was testing an option in India that makes Reels and DMs the first two tabs, and the iPad app opens to Reels. What you can change is what you look at. Tap Instagram at the top of Home and pick Following to see posts from people you follow in time order. iPhone Screen Time can limit the whole app, DMs included. To use Instagram with the Reels tab hidden, open it in minulo, where hiding is free and DMs keep working.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. Facts about Instagram and iPhone come from the sources listed below, checked on 2026-10-25. Instagram's Help Center returned an error page when we tried to open it on that day, so this page relies on Instagram's and Meta's own announcements. Menu names can change with app updates.
| What you try | What changes | Does the Reels tab go away? |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram settings | We found no setting that removes, hides or moves the Reels tab. | No. |
| Following (tap Instagram at the top of Home) | Shows posts from people you follow in time order, according to Meta. | No. It changes Home only. |
| iPhone Screen Time | Limits or blocks the whole Instagram app, or a whole category of apps. | No. DMs are limited along with everything else. |
| minulo (free) | Opens Instagram's website with the Reels tab and Explore hidden. DMs and posts from people you follow keep working. | Yes, inside minulo. The official app doesn't change. |
Why there is no switch for the Reels tab
Instagram's own statements point the other way. On October 1, 2025, Mosseri wrote that "Reels and DMs have driven most all our growth at Instagram" over the last few years, and that Instagram was exploring making them the first two tabs. He described it as an option for a small group of people in India, said photos from accounts you follow stay in the Home tab, and said people who opt in can opt right out.
Instagram's iPad app was built the same way. When it launched, Instagram said the app drops you into Reels when you open it, with Stories at the top and messages one tap away. A Following tab there offers All, Friends and Latest views.
None of these announcements mention a way to remove the Reels tab, and we found no setting for it in the sources below as of October 2026.
What Instagram does let you change
- Open Instagram and go to Home.
- Tap Instagram at the top left.
- Choose Following, or Favorites for accounts you picked.
Meta says Following shows posts from the people you follow, and both Following and Favorites are in chronological order. This changes what Home shows you. The Reels tab in the bottom bar stays where it is, one tap away.
Can Screen Time hide just the Reels tab?
No. Apple's Screen Time sets time limits for individual apps and for categories such as Social Networking. It has no way to limit one tab inside an app. A limit on Instagram covers everything in it, so DMs are limited too, and Apple says limits can be ignored once reached unless you block them with a Screen Time passcode.
Hide the Reels tab with minulo
minulo opens Instagram's official website inside the app on iPhone. With Hide the Reels tab and Hide Explore on, those tabs are gone from the bar, and suggested posts and Stories can be hidden too. If you only need messages, Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs and notifications. Reels sent to you in DMs pause before the endless feed starts, and Open for 5 min lets you watch for five minutes. You change these with the gear next to Instagram. Hiding is free.
If you keep tapping the official Instagram app out of habit, minulo can lock it with iPhone Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block. While it is locked, its notifications don't arrive, and minulo doesn't send any. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, blocks over 2 hours, multiple block lists and Hard Mode.
minulo doesn't change the official Instagram app, so the Reels tab is still there if you open it directly. minulo is iPhone only, with no Android or iPad version, and is made by the person who wrote this page.
Can you remove the Reels tab from Instagram?
Not in the Instagram app. Instagram has not announced a setting that removes or hides the Reels tab, and we found none as of October 2026. To use Instagram without it, open Instagram in an app that hides the tab, such as minulo, where hiding is free and DMs keep working.
Can I move the Reels tab or change the tab order on Instagram?
We found no setting for that. Instagram has tested its own tab orders: in October 2025 Adam Mosseri said a small group in India could opt in to having Reels and DMs as the first two tabs, and opt right out again.
Does the Following feed get rid of Reels?
No. Following, which you pick by tapping Instagram at the top of Home, shows posts from people you follow in time order, according to Meta. It changes Home only, and the Reels tab stays in the bottom bar.
Can Screen Time block only the Reels tab?
No. Screen Time limits whole apps or app categories, not tabs inside an app. Limiting Instagram limits DMs too.
How do I use Instagram without the Reels tab?
Open Instagram in minulo on iPhone. Hide the Reels tab and Hide Explore remove those tabs, and Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs and notifications. Hiding is free. The official Instagram app itself doesn't change.
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