one sec alternatives if you want Reels and Shorts gone, not just delayed (2026)
one sec adds a pause, such as a deep breath, before a distracting app opens, and it is free for one app. After the pause the whole app opens, Reels and Shorts included. If you want to keep using Instagram or YouTube without Reels and Shorts, an app that hides only those parts fits better: minulo, SocialLite and UNDOOMED do it in their own view and keep DMs, and ScrollGuard does it in Safari. If you want stronger limits on whole apps, ScreenZen and Opal are the large options.
This page is written by the developer of minulo. Facts about other apps come only from their US App Store pages (description, price and US ratings) and their official websites, checked on 2026-10-17.
| App | How it limits you | Does it remove Reels and Shorts? | Price (App Store page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| one sec (23,716 US ratings) | Adds a pause, such as a deep breath animation, when you open an app you chose. After a set time it can send you out, and you go through the pause again for more time. Its website also lists full blocks on a schedule. | No. After the pause the whole app opens, Reels and Shorts included. | Free for one app; one sec pro (monthly, yearly or lifetime) for more. |
| ScreenZen (51,682) | A delay before opening that can grow each time, interruptions while scrolling, app goals, and optional strict blocks by time range or number of opens. | No. It limits the whole app. | Free download. |
| Opal (89,826) | Blocks the apps and websites you choose on a schedule, with daily app limits and a Deep Focus mode that cannot be cancelled. | No. While Instagram is blocked, its DMs are blocked too. | Free download; in-app purchases. |
| ScrollGuard (111) | A Safari extension that hides feeds, Reels, Stories and Explore on social media websites; its website says it also creates web app versions of each network on iPhone. | Yes, in Safari and its web apps. DMs keep working, per its website. | Free; Premium adds unlimited custom filters. |
| SocialLite (8,780) | Its own focused view of social networks that removes short-form video feeds, recommendations and Explore while keeping DMs. | Yes, inside SocialLite. | Free download; in-app purchases. |
| UNDOOMED (106) | Opens seven networks in its own browser and filters the page; Messages Only mode and hourly or daily caps. | Yes, inside UNDOOMED (no TikTok or Snapchat). | Free download; advanced filters need Pro. |
| minulo (new, 0 US ratings) | Opens each network's official website inside the app and hides the parts you choose. Can lock the official apps with Screen Time and send you to minulo instead. Covers Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat (10). | Yes, inside minulo. DMs, friends' posts and search keep working. | Hiding is free. Pro adds schedules, Locked Mode, blocks longer than 2 hours and multiple block lists. |
What is a good one sec alternative if I only want to stop Reels and Shorts?
Use an app that hides those parts instead of pausing the whole app. minulo, SocialLite and UNDOOMED show social networks in their own view with Reels and Shorts hidden, and ScrollGuard does the same in Safari. In minulo, hiding is free on 10 networks, and it can lock the official Instagram and TikTok apps so you land in minulo instead.
Does one sec block Instagram Reels?
No, not on their own. one sec works on whole apps: when you open Instagram it shows a pause first, and after that Instagram opens normally, Reels included. Its App Store description does not mention hiding Reels or Shorts. It can send you out after a set time, which it calls Re-Intervention.
Is one sec free?
Using one sec with one app is free. For more apps you need one sec pro, which comes as a monthly, yearly or lifetime purchase. minulo is free for hiding Reels, Shorts and suggested posts and for locking the official apps for up to 2 hours at a time.
What does one sec do better than an app that hides Reels?
one sec works with any app, not only social media, and has a Safari extension, an Android app and a browser extension for computers, according to its website. It points to peer-reviewed studies and reports that app usage drops by 57% on average. It also has 23,716 US ratings. If your problem is opening apps on autopilot, a pause can be the better fit; if your problem is Reels and Shorts in particular, hiding them lets you keep using DMs without the pause.
Sources
- App Store: one sec | screen time + focus (checked 2026-10-17)
- one sec official website (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: ScreenZen- Screen Time Control (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: Opal: Screen Time Control (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: ScrollGuard: Block Reels (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: SocialLite-Block Reels&Shorts (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: UNDOOMED: Reels & Feed Blocker (checked 2026-10-17)
- App Store: minulo: Block Reels & Shorts (checked 2026-10-17)
