minulo vs Spool: a Spool alternative that hides Reels and keeps DMs (2026)

minulo is a Spool alternative that hides Reels, Shorts and suggested posts on 10 networks, including TikTok, while your DMs keep working, and hiding is free. Spool instead asks you to tell its AI why before you open a blocked app, and its Full Access costs $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year in the US.

Spool, made by Spooli Inc, takes a different route. Before a blocked app opens, you have to explain to an AI why you want to open it, and if you use the same excuse too often, Spool locks you out. It also has Focus Web, a browser inside Spool that can hide Reels, Shorts and other parts of Instagram, YouTube, X, Snapchat and Facebook. Spool Full Access costs $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year in the US.

Updated 2026-11-04

This page is written by the developer of minulo, so keep that in mind. Spool facts come from its App Store pages in the US, Japan and Korea (version 5.5, released 2026-11-02) and its website (thespoolapp.com: the Focus Web page and the “Spool vs SocialLite” article), checked 2026-11-04. Features and prices can change.

	Spool	minulo
How it works	Two layers: Focus Web, a browser inside Spool that hides parts of supported social websites, and a check-in before blocked apps open, where you tell an AI why you want to open them	Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose
Networks	Focus Web: Instagram, YouTube, X, Snapchat, Facebook (5). TikTok is not on its Focus Web list	Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10)
What it can hide	Instagram Reels, Stories, Explore and DMs (each separately); YouTube Shorts; X Explore and optional Grok; Snapchat Spotlight, Stories and Discover; Facebook's Reels and video hubs	Reels, Shorts, Explore and suggested posts
DMs	Kept if you leave the Instagram DMs filter off; you can also hide them	Kept. Every tab but DMs for Instagram and TikTok (free)
The official apps	Focus Web doesn't change them. Separately, Spool can block apps with Screen Time permission and ask for a check-in before they open	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	Daily AI insights into your triggers, a log of your excuses, focus sessions, blocking schedules, friend accountability	Schedules, blocks longer than 2 hours, Hard Mode and multiple block lists (Pro)
Platforms	iPhone (iOS 17.6 or later). Its website says there is no Android version yet	iPhone (iOS 16.4 or later), plus a Mac app for Safari and Chrome. No Android version
App languages	20, including Japanese and Korean	13, including Japanese and Korean
US App Store ratings	175, average 4.4 (on the App Store since October 2025)	1, average 4.0 (launched September 2026)
Japan App Store ratings	2, average 5.0	4, average 3.0
Korea App Store ratings	2, average 5.0	14, average 4.1
Price (US)	Free download. Full Access is $4.99/week or $44.99/year; its website says standard plans have no free trial. The App Store also lists other plans, such as $7.99/month	Hiding is free; Pro is $9.99/month or $39.99/year

Ratings were checked on the US, Japan and Korea App Stores on 2026-11-04.

Pick Spool if

you want to work on why you keep reaching for your phone, with a check-in and AI insights;
you want a friend to help keep you accountable;
you also want to hide Instagram DMs or Snapchat Stories, or turn off Grok on X;
you prefer an app that has been on the App Store longer (since October 2025) and has 175 US ratings.

Pick minulo if

you need TikTok, Threads, Pinterest, Reddit or LinkedIn without the feed;
you want hiding to be free;
you just want the feeds gone, without explaining yourself each time you open an app;
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.

Is minulo a good Spool alternative?

If what you want is Reels and Shorts gone while DMs keep working, yes. minulo hides them on 10 networks, including TikTok, and hiding is free. If you want to work on the urge itself, with a check-in before apps open, AI insights and a friend keeping you accountable, that is what Spool is built for, and minulo doesn't have those features.

Is Spool free?

The download is free. In the US, Spool Full Access is $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year, and its website says standard plans have no free trial. In Japan the listing shows ¥800 or ¥1,280 a week, or ¥7,000 a year; in Korea, ₩3,300 or ₩5,300 a week, or ₩66,000 a year. Its App Store listing doesn't say which features work without a subscription. In minulo, hiding Reels, Shorts and suggested posts is free.

Does Spool remove Reels inside the official Instagram app?

No. Spool's website says Focus Web filters Instagram's website inside Spool and does not change the native app, and that shared Reel links may still open. minulo doesn't change the official app either: it shows Instagram's website inside minulo with Reels hidden, and it can lock the official app with Screen Time.

Does Spool work with TikTok?

TikTok is not on the list of Focus Web platforms on Spool's website (checked 2026-11-04). Its App Store page describes app blocking and a check-in before blocked apps open, but we couldn't confirm a way to hide only TikTok's For You feed. In minulo, TikTok's For You feed is hidden and messages keep working, and there is also a DMs-only setting for TikTok.

What does Spool's “Spool vs SocialLite” article say?

It is written by Spool's founder, Prafull Sharma, and was last updated on 2026-10-17. It describes SocialLite as mainly a cleaner way to browse social media, and Spool as feed filtering in Focus Web combined with a voice check-in before native apps, AI analysis of the reasons you give and friend accountability. It also notes that SocialLite advertises more platforms and has parent controls, and that Spool is iPhone-only for now.

Which one is more established?

In the US, Spool. It has been on the App Store since October 2025 and has 175 US ratings with an average of 4.4 (2026-11-04). minulo launched in September 2026 and has 1 US rating so far. In Japan, Spool has 2 ratings and minulo has 4; in Korea, Spool has 2 and minulo has 14.

Sources

minulo vs SocialLite →SocialLite alternatives →minulo vs UNDOOMED →All apps that hide Reels compared →