minulo vs ScrollGuard: hiding Reels and Shorts on iPhone while keeping DMs (2026)
If you want Reels, Shorts and TikTok's For You hidden while your DMs keep working, both apps do it and both are free for the basics. minulo opens 10 networks inside its own app with those parts hidden, and hiding is free; Pro, for schedules and stricter blocking, is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US. ScrollGuard works on iPhone through a Safari extension and web apps it creates, covers 7 networks there, and also has an Android version that works inside the native apps.
ScrollGuard, made by BreakTheScroll OÜ, doesn't block whole apps. On iPhone it hides the addictive parts of social media websites: its App Store page describes a Safari extension with a switch for each part, and its website says it also creates clean web app versions of Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Reddit and LinkedIn. Its website says the Android version runs on top of the native apps, and that blocking happens on your device. Its latest version, 1.2.5, adds Snapchat chats and calls inside ScrollGuard in beta, with a filter that hides Spotlight.
This page is written by the developer of minulo, so keep that in mind. ScrollGuard facts come from its US App Store page (version 1.2.5, released 2026-10-30) and its website (scrollguard.app), checked 2026-11-04. Features and prices can change.
| ScrollGuard | minulo | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | On iPhone, a Safari extension plus clean web app versions of each network that it creates. On Android, it runs on top of the native apps (per its website) | Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose |
| Networks on iPhone | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Reddit, LinkedIn (7, per its website). Version 1.2.5 adds Snapchat in beta | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10) |
| What it can hide | Reels, Shorts, Stories, Explore, For You pages and endless feeds, with a switch for each part | Reels, Shorts, Explore, TikTok's For You and suggested posts |
| DMs | Kept. You can also allow Reels that friends send you in DMs (per its website) | Kept. Every tab but DMs for Instagram and TikTok (free) |
| The official apps | Not changed on iPhone. Its Android version works inside them | Not changed, but minulo 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 |
| Other features | Strict Mode (settings locked with a password you can give someone else), time saved from Screen Time data, an adult content filter for all browsers, Automations | Free blocks of up to 2 hours; Sleep mode, longer blocks, Hard Mode and a Daily limit in Pro |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 18 or later) and Android | iPhone (iOS 16.4 or later), plus a Mac app for Safari and Chrome. No Android version |
| App languages | 4 (English, French, German, Spanish) | 13, including Japanese and Korean |
| US App Store ratings | 126, average 4.2 (on the App Store since February 2026) | 1, average 4.0 (launched September 2026) |
| Price (US) | Free download; core blocking is free. In-app purchases named ScrollGuard Pro at $3.99, $19.99, $29.99 and $59.99 | 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 ScrollGuard if
- you would rather stay in Safari or in web apps than use another app;
- you also use an Android phone, where it works inside the native apps;
- you want Strict Mode, which locks your settings with a password you can give to a friend, or its adult content filter;
- you prefer an app with more ratings behind it (126 in the US).
Pick minulo if
- you need Threads or Pinterest without the feed;
- you want all your networks in one app, with the official apps locked so you open them in minulo instead;
- you want a free setting that shows only DMs on Instagram or TikTok;
- you use 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. minulo is new and has few ratings so far.
Which is better for hiding Reels and Shorts but keeping DMs, minulo or ScrollGuard?
Both keep DMs and both hide Reels and Shorts without paying. Pick ScrollGuard if you want to stay in Safari, also use Android, or want its Strict Mode or adult content filter. Pick minulo if you want one app of its own for 10 networks, including Threads, Pinterest and Snapchat, and want the official apps locked so you open them in minulo instead.
Is there a free way to block YouTube Shorts on iPhone?
Yes, with either app. ScrollGuard's website says its core blocking is free, and on iPhone it hides Shorts in Safari and in the YouTube web app it creates. In minulo, hiding the Shorts shelf and the Shorts tab is free, and Shorts links can open in the normal player. Neither app changes the official YouTube app; minulo can lock it with Screen Time instead.
Is ScrollGuard free?
It is a free download, and its website says the core blocking works without paying. The US App Store lists in-app purchases named ScrollGuard Pro at $3.99, $19.99, $29.99 and $59.99 without saying what each one covers, and the listing says Premium adds unlimited custom filters (checked 2026-11-04). In minulo, hiding is free, and Pro is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
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