minulo vs Untethered: a Safari blocker or an app that keeps DMs (2026)
Pick Untethered if you already use Instagram, YouTube and Facebook in Safari and want a free extension that keeps short videos off those sites, with no account and no data collection. Pick minulo if you want to keep using DMs and the rest of each network in one app, including Threads, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn and Snapchat, and want the official apps locked so you don't slip back. Untethered blocks TikTok's whole site, while minulo hides TikTok's For You and keeps its DMs. Hiding is free in both.
Untethered, made by Robert Andrew Kleinman, is a Safari content blocker. Its App Store listing says it “works by creating content blocking rules that block short-form video from being displayed in Safari”, and lists Instagram and Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok (the entire site) and short-form video on X, CNN, BBC and more. It says it does not block short videos in third-party apps, and suggests deleting apps like Instagram and using Safari instead. It also says there is no data collection, tracking or analytics.
This page is written by the developer of minulo, so keep that in mind. Untethered facts come from its US App Store page (version 1.0, released 2026-03-26), checked 2026-11-04. Features and prices can change.
| Untethered | minulo | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Robert Andrew Kleinman | Ayumu Kitabayashi |
| How it works | A Safari extension with content blocking rules. Works only in Safari, not in other apps | Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose |
| Sites it covers | Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, X, CNN, BBC “and more” | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10) |
| What it blocks or hides | Instagram and Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, short-form video on X and news sites. TikTok is blocked entirely | Reels, Shorts, Explore, TikTok's For You and suggested posts |
| DMs | Not mentioned in its listing. Because it blocks TikTok's whole site, TikTok messages in Safari are blocked too | Kept. Every tab but DMs for Instagram and TikTok (free) |
| The official apps | Not changed. The listing suggests deleting them and using Safari | 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 |
| Settings | No switches are described; you turn the extension on in Settings → Apps → Safari → Extensions | A switch for each part on each network; Free blocks of up to 2 hours; Sleep mode, longer blocks, Hard Mode and a Daily limit in Pro |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 16.0 or later); the App Store also lists Mac with Apple silicon and Apple Vision | 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 | Not enough ratings to show (on the App Store since March 2026) | 1, average 4.0 (launched September 2026) |
| Price (US) | Free; no in-app purchases listed | Hiding is free; Pro is $9.99/month or $39.99/year |
| Privacy | Its listing says there is no data collection, no tracking, no analytics and no third-party SDKs | See minulo's App Store page |
Ratings were checked on the US App Store on 2026-11-04.
Pick Untethered if
- you already use social networks in Safari and want short videos gone there;
- you also want short videos blocked on X and news sites like CNN and BBC;
- you want TikTok blocked completely;
- you want something free with no in-app purchases and no data collection.
Pick minulo if
- you want to keep using DMs, including on TikTok, while Reels, Shorts and For You stay hidden;
- you use Threads, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn or Snapchat;
- you want the official apps locked with Screen Time so you open the Reels-free version instead;
- you want separate switches for each part, schedules or blocks, or 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 Untethered alternative?
Yes, if you want an app you open instead of the official apps rather than a Safari extension. minulo opens 10 networks with Reels, Shorts and TikTok's For You hidden and keeps DMs, and can lock the official apps with Screen Time. Untethered only works in Safari, blocks TikTok's whole site, and has no in-app purchases. If you are happy using Safari and want news site videos blocked too, Untethered does that.
Does Untethered block Reels in the Instagram app?
No. Its App Store listing says it only blocks short-form video in Safari and not in third-party apps, and suggests deleting the Instagram app and using Safari (checked 2026-11-04). minulo doesn't change the official Instagram app either, but it can lock it with Screen Time and send you to minulo, where Reels are hidden and DMs work.
Is Untethered free?
Yes. Its US App Store page lists it as free and shows no in-app purchases (checked 2026-11-04). In minulo, hiding Reels, Shorts and suggested posts is also free, and Pro is $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year.
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