minulo vs Fluid Friction: hide Reels, or make scrolling harder? (2026)
Fluid Friction and minulo both open social networks inside their own app, but they start from different ideas.
Fluid Friction slows the scroll down: a wave of fluid pushes back against your thumb, and the next post arrives only after you drag through it. It can also hide Reels and Shorts. minulo's main job is to take Reels, Shorts and Explore away so they are not there at all, while DMs keep working.
This page is written by the developer of minulo, so keep that in mind. Fluid Friction facts come from its US App Store page (version 1.7, released 2026-10-30) and its website (fluidfriction.app), checked 2026-11-02. Features and prices can change.
| Fluid Friction | minulo | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Opens Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn or any website you add inside the app. A wave pushes back while you scroll, and the next post comes only after you drag through it | Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose |
| Networks | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIn (8), plus any website you add | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10) |
| Free | Its App Store page says every tool is free: the scroll friction, hiding Reels, Shorts, Stories, Explore and For You, Screen Time shields for other apps and websites, the alarm and the insights | Hiding Reels, Shorts, Explore and suggested posts on all 10 networks; locking the official apps (up to 2 hours per block) |
| Paid features | Fluid Pro unlocks themes and extras such as dark mode (7-day free trial) | Schedules, blocks longer than 2 hours, Hard Mode and multiple block lists (Pro) |
| Messages only | Messages keep working while Reels and the rest are hidden. Version 1.7 notes say TikTok now opens on Messages first | Every tab but DMs for Instagram and TikTok (free) |
| The official apps | Can block native apps with Screen Time. Before you go in there is a cooldown and a breathing, math or passphrase step, and you can require an NFC tag or QR code scan | Can lock them with Screen Time; the block screen has an Open in minulo button. While an app is locked, its notifications don't arrive |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later) and Android (Google Play) | iPhone (plus a Mac app for Safari and Chrome). No Android version |
| App languages | About 20, including Japanese and Korean | 13, including Japanese and Korean |
| US App Store ratings | 14, average 4.4 (2026-11-02; on the App Store since July 2026) | 1, average 4.0 (2026-11-02; launched September 2026) |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Linked to You: Contact Info, User Content, Identifiers, Usage Data | Data Not Linked to You: Purchases, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics, Other Data |
| Price (US) | Free; Fluid Pro is $4.99/month or $39.99/year | Hiding is free; Pro is $9.99/month or $39.99/year |
Ratings, prices and privacy labels are from the US App Store, checked 2026-11-02.
Pick Fluid Friction if
- you want the scroll itself to push back, rather than the videos disappearing;
- you also use Android;
- you want blocking tools for free, including shields for other apps, an NFC or QR key, a wake-up alarm and a focus timer;
- you want YouTube background play and picture in picture, which its App Store page lists;
- you want an app with more ratings so far (14 in the US against minulo's 1).
Pick minulo if
- you also use Threads or Pinterest, which are not among Fluid Friction's 8 networks;
- you want one simple job done: Reels, Shorts and Explore gone, DMs kept, without themes, ranks or alarms around it;
- you want Instagram or TikTok to show nothing but DMs, for free;
- you want the official app's icon to lead straight to the Reels-free version in minulo;
- you also want the same on a Mac.
minulo shows each network's website rather than the official app, so screens look a little different from the app. While minulo locks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive.
Is Fluid Friction free?
Mostly, yes. Its App Store page says every tool is free, including the friction, the shields, the alarm and the insights. Fluid Pro ($4.99/month or $39.99/year in the US) adds themes and extras such as dark mode. In minulo, hiding Reels, Shorts, Explore and suggested posts is free, and Pro ($9.99/month or $39.99/year) adds schedules, blocks longer than 2 hours, Hard Mode and multiple block lists.
Does Fluid Friction hide Reels or only slow them down?
Both. The friction is its main feature, and its App Store page and website also say Reels, Shorts, Stories, Explore and For You can be hidden while messages keep working. Its website says that on iPhone and iPad these apps open inside Fluid Friction's own browser, which is also how minulo works.
Is Fluid Friction safe to use?
Its App Store privacy label (checked 2026-11-02) lists only Data Not Linked to You: contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data, and its description says no ads and no tracking. minulo's label also lists only Data Not Linked to You: purchases, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics and other data. Privacy labels are written by each developer.
Which one is more established?
Fluid Friction has been on the App Store since July 2026 and had 14 US ratings averaging 4.4 on 2026-11-02. minulo launched in September 2026 and had 1. Fluid Friction is also on Android, and minulo is not.
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