How to keep a New Year's resolution to scroll less in 2027 without quitting social media
To keep a New Year's resolution to scroll less without quitting social media, cut the feeds (Reels, Shorts, TikTok's For You) and keep what you still need, like group chats and messages. Then add one step a week: lock the apps at night in week 2, give the day a limit in week 3, and look back at the month in week 4.
Most resolutions to quit social media aim at the whole app. The part that eats your evening is usually smaller: the Reels tab, the Shorts feed, TikTok's For You. This plan for January 2027 takes those feeds away and leaves what you still need, like group chats, messages from friends and the accounts you follow.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, who makes an app that hides Reels and Shorts (see the last section). Facts about iPhone settings come from Apple's iPhone User Guide, and facts about YouTube and Instagram from their help centers. Menu names can change with app and iOS updates. This page gives practical steps, not medical advice.
Why resolutions to quit social media fail
Quitting outright means giving up things you still use. Class group chats, plans with friends and messages from family often live in Instagram DMs or Snapchat, so the app comes back, and the feed comes back with it. Deleting the app also leaves the website one tap away in Safari.
The other problem is the moment itself. You rarely open Instagram to watch Reels. You open it to answer a message, and a Reel is already playing. A goal like "use my phone less" doesn't say what to do at that moment, so habit decides.
Data from the app I make points the same way. Of 378 people who first opened it between October 1 and 14, 2026, those who opened a network inside the app 10 or more times on their first day came back on a later day 73% of the time, compared with 10% of those who opened none. The people who stayed were not the ones who blocked the most, but the ones who kept using social media without the endless feeds. Most social media sessions in the app happen between 8 pm and 1 am (Japan time, where most of the data comes from), so the evening is where a plan has to hold. (usage data, October 2026)
A 4-week plan for January 2027
Week 1: take the feeds out of reach. In YouTube, set the Shorts feed limit to 0. In Instagram, switch to the Following feed. Both are free and described in the next section, along with their limits. Change nothing else this week. The point is to get used to social media without the feeds.
Week 2: lock the official apps at night. In Settings › Screen Time › Downtime, set the hours you are in bed and turn on Block at Downtime (on iOS 27 this is called Screen Time Schedule). It blocks the whole app, DMs included.
Week 3: give the day a limit. Put App Limits on the official apps in Settings › Screen Time › App Limits. They cover the whole app, and without a Screen Time passcode one tap lets you ignore the limit. Instagram's own daily time limit is only a reminder.
Week 4: look back. Open Settings › Screen Time and compare this week with the first week of January. Keep what worked. If nights are still the hard part, keep the night lock. If it is the time right after class or work, lock the apps then instead.
What iPhone, YouTube and Instagram already offer
| Option | What it does | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts feed limit set to 0 (YouTube) | In the YouTube app: You › Settings › Time management › Shorts feed limit. The Shorts feed stops after the limit | Adults can dismiss it, and news reports say Shorts still appear in Subscriptions and in links people send you |
| Following feed (Instagram) | Tap Instagram at the top left of your feed and choose Following: only accounts you follow, newest first, no suggested posts | The Reels tab and Explore stay, and you pick Following again each time you come back |
| Downtime + Block at Downtime (iPhone) | Settings › Screen Time › Downtime: the apps you choose can't be opened during the hours you set (on iOS 27 this is called Screen Time Schedule) | Blocks the whole app, DMs included. A passcode you chose yourself can be typed in half asleep |
If you only use YouTube, the Shorts feed limit is a good first step. If Instagram's Reels are the problem, the Following feed helps for a few minutes, but Instagram opens back on the main feed next time. Downtime is the strongest built-in lock, and it is the one that also stops your messages.
If you want to keep DMs but lose Reels and Shorts
I'm the developer of minulo, so this part is about my own app. In minulo, Instagram and YouTube open with Reels and Shorts hidden, and hiding is free with no subscription. Tap Add a service, choose Instagram, then tap the gear next to it and turn on Hide the Reels tab and Hide Explore; hide Shorts in YouTube's settings the same way. DMs keep working.
The Block tab locks the official Instagram and YouTube apps with Screen Time. A free block lasts up to 2 hours, and you can start another right away. If you tap the Instagram icon out of habit, a block screen appears with an Open in minulo button, so you can still reply without Reels. minulo Pro is optional and paid: Sleep mode turns the lock on by itself every night from your bedtime to your wake time, Work mode locks the apps you pick during your work hours on the days you choose, and the Daily limit sets a daily time budget for social media that reopens after 5 a.m. minulo also shows, for free, how many times you chose not to open an app and how long you spent on each network.
minulo can't change the official apps, so Reels and Shorts are hidden only inside minulo. While minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. If you need DM alerts at night, leave the official app unlocked. Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available, because Instagram's website doesn't have them. Free blocks last up to 2 hours and you start them yourself. minulo runs on iPhone and Mac, not Android, and it is new, with few ratings. And no app makes the decision for you: a Screen Time passcode you set yourself can be undone. See what minulo can't do.
Do I have to delete Instagram to keep a resolution to scroll less?
No. A resolution to scroll less is about the feeds, not your messages. Keep using DMs, group chats and the accounts you follow, and cut only Reels, Explore and Shorts.
Is minulo free?
Hiding Reels, Shorts and suggested posts is free, with no subscription and no account. minulo Pro is optional and paid. It adds Sleep mode, Work mode, Hard Mode, a Daily limit and blocks longer than 2 hours.
What if I slip in the first week?
Change the setup, not the goal. If you keep opening the official app, lock it with Downtime or an App Limit.
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