minulo vs LockPact: hide Reels yourself, or lock apps with a partner (2026)
LockPact and minulo take different approaches. Pick LockPact if you want someone else to hold the key: you and a friend each lock apps on your own phone, and only the other person can approve an unlock. Pick minulo if you don't want to lose Instagram or TikTok entirely, only the Reels, Shorts and suggested posts: it opens 10 networks inside its own app with those parts hidden, DMs keep working, and hiding is free.
LockPact, listed on the App Store as “LockPact: Screen Time Partner” and made by Rotate, LLC, came out in 2026. You pair with a friend, partner or roommate using a 6-digit code, each of you picks apps to lock on your own phone, and when you need one you send an unlock request that the other person approves or declines. Its listing is open that bypassing is still possible on iOS, and says your partner gets notified when you do. It also has a solo lock timer and schedules.
This page is written by the developer of minulo, so keep that in mind. LockPact facts come from its US App Store page (version 1.4, updated 2026-10-23), including its description, release notes and in-app purchase list, checked 2026-11-04. Features and prices can change.
| LockPact | minulo | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Rotate, LLC | Ayumu Kitabayashi |
| How it works | Locks whole apps you choose; only your paired partner can approve an unlock | Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose |
| Networks | Any app you choose, not only social media | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10) |
| Reels and Shorts | The listing doesn't mention hiding Reels or Shorts inside an app; the whole app is locked | Hidden, along with Explore, TikTok's For You and suggested posts. Normal videos keep working |
| DMs | While an app is locked, its DMs are too | Kept. Every tab but DMs for Instagram and TikTok (free) |
| Accountability | Your partner approves or declines each unlock and is notified if you bypass | None with another person. Hard Mode (Pro) makes turning blocking off take effort |
| Other features | Solo lock timer, schedules | Free blocks of up to 2 hours; Sleep mode, longer blocks and a Daily limit in Pro |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18.0 or later) | iPhone (iOS 16.4 or later), plus a Mac app for Safari and Chrome. No Android version |
| App languages | English | 13, including Japanese and Korean |
| US App Store ratings | 9, average 4.4 (on the App Store since May 2026) | 1, average 4.0 (launched September 2026) |
| Price (US) | Free; its listing says the core features cost nothing. A short ad plays before each unlock request. In-app purchases to skip the ad: $1.99 for 1, $4.99 for 3, $9.99 unlimited; items named Spark, Steady and Torch at $2.99, $6.99 and $14.99 | Hiding is free; Pro is $9.99/month or $39.99/year |
Ratings were checked on the US App Store on 2026-11-04.
Pick LockPact if
- you know your own willpower won't hold, and want a friend or partner to approve each unlock;
- you want to lock apps of any kind, not only social media;
- you want accountability to go both ways, with each of you holding the other's key;
- you want the core features free with no subscription.
Pick minulo if
- you want to keep using Instagram or TikTok for DMs and friends' posts, just without Reels and Shorts;
- you'd rather not ask someone each time you want to open an app;
- you need several networks, including Threads, X, Reddit or Snapchat, in one app;
- you use a Mac, or an iPhone on iOS 16 or 17, or want the app in a language other than English.
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. minulo is new and has few ratings so far.
Is minulo a good LockPact alternative?
It depends on what you want. If you want a friend or partner to approve every unlock, LockPact is built for that and minulo has nothing like it. If you want to keep using Instagram, YouTube or TikTok for messages and normal videos while Reels, Shorts and suggested posts are hidden, minulo does that for 10 networks, and hiding is free.
Is LockPact free?
Yes, its listing says the core accountability features are free with no subscription. A short ad plays before each unlock request, and the US App Store lists in-app purchases to skip it ($1.99 for one skip, $4.99 for three, $9.99 unlimited) plus items named Spark, Steady and Torch at $2.99, $6.99 and $14.99 (checked 2026-11-04). In minulo, hiding Reels, Shorts and suggested posts is free, and Pro is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
Can LockPact block only Instagram Reels?
Its App Store listing describes locking whole apps, not hiding Reels or Shorts inside them (checked 2026-11-04). While Instagram is locked, its DMs are locked too. minulo hides Reels, Shorts and suggested posts and leaves DMs working.
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