Best way to keep Instagram for group chats but drop Reels (college students, 2026)
Short answer: use Instagram inside an app that opens it in its own browser with Reels hidden and DMs working (minulo, UNDOOMED or Stillfeed). If you keep opening the official app out of habit, lock it with Screen Time. Safari extensions work if you are fine using Instagram in Safari. Screen Time on its own blocks your group chats along with Reels.
This page is written by the developer of minulo. Facts about other apps come from their US App Store pages and, where noted, their websites, checked 2026-10-20. Features and prices can change.
| Approach | Apps | Group chats | Reels | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-app browser | minulo, UNDOOMED, Stillfeed, Scroll Less | Keep working inside the app | Hidden inside the app | Instagram's website has no voice messages or calls, and posting Stories is not available. The official app still opens unless you lock it |
| Screen broadcast | Slowth | You stay in the official app | It watches the screen and, when Reels appear, Screen Time blocks the whole app | You start a screen recording yourself. A block covers the whole app, chats included |
| Safari extension | Nope, ScrollGuard | Keep working on instagram.com in Safari | Hidden in Safari | You use Instagram in Safari instead of the app; the official app is unchanged. ScrollGuard needs iOS 18. Nope is free and covers Instagram and YouTube |
| Screen Time alone | Built into iPhone | Blocked together with Reels | Blocked with the whole app | Free and nothing to install, but there is no setting that blocks only Reels |
Why this page is about students
In minulo's first-month data, 87% of the 577 users who answered the age question are 24 or younger, and Instagram is the first network about 70% of users open (minulo, October 2026). The most common reason is the one in the title: the class, club and dorm group chats are on Instagram, and Reels come with them.
In-app browser apps compared
- minulo: 10 networks (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat). DMs only on Instagram and TikTok is free (Every tab but DMs). Can lock the official apps with Screen Time; the block screen has an Open in minulo button. iPhone only, no Android. Launched September 2026, 0 US ratings. Built by one developer in Japan.
- UNDOOMED: 7 networks (Instagram, Threads, Reddit, Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn); TikTok and Snapchat are listed as unavailable. Messages Only mode for Instagram and LinkedIn is Pro, per its website. iPhone and Android. 107 US ratings, average 4.3, on the App Store since October 2025.
- Stillfeed: Instagram and YouTube. Hiding Reels, Explore and Shorts is free; DMs Only is Pro ($4.99/month or $39.99/year). It asks before opening the official app. 0 US ratings, on the App Store since July 2026.
- Scroll Less: YouTube, Instagram and other platforms (full list not given) in its own minimal browser, with algorithmic feeds removed. DMs are not mentioned on its App Store page. English only. 22 US ratings, average 4.6, on the App Store since March 2025.
Which one fits you
- You only need the group chats. Use a messages-only view: minulo's Every tab but DMs (free), UNDOOMED's Messages Only (Pro) or Stillfeed's DMs Only (Pro).
- You want friends' posts too, just no Reels. minulo, UNDOOMED and Stillfeed all do this for free.
- You have an Android phone, or switch between iPhone and Android. UNDOOMED is the one of these with an Android app.
- You keep opening the official app on autopilot. Lock it with Screen Time. minulo turns the block screen into a shortcut to its Reels-free Instagram (Open in minulo), so the chats are still one tap away.
- You need voice messages, calls or posting Stories. Those need the official app. A screen-broadcast app keeps you in it, but blocks the whole app when Reels appear.
- You do not want another app. Use instagram.com in Safari with Nope (free) or ScrollGuard, or use Screen Time and accept that the chats are blocked too.
Group chat notifications
With minulo, notifications come from the official Instagram app. If you leave the official app unlocked, they arrive as usual and you can reply in minulo. While the official app is locked with Screen Time, its notifications do not arrive, so lock it only when you can miss them, for example while studying.
What is the best way to keep Instagram for group chats but drop Reels?
Open Instagram inside an app that hides Reels and keeps DMs, such as minulo, UNDOOMED or Stillfeed. For messages only, minulo's Every tab but DMs is free; UNDOOMED and Stillfeed offer a messages-only mode in Pro. If you keep going back to the official app, lock it with Screen Time.
Can I remove Reels from the official Instagram app?
On iPhone, no third-party app can change what another app shows. Apps either show Instagram in their own browser or in Safari, or watch the screen and block the whole app when Reels appear. minulo can lock the official app with Screen Time and send you to its Reels-free Instagram instead.
Why not just use Screen Time?
Screen Time blocks the whole Instagram app, so your group chats are blocked together with Reels, and it has no setting that blocks only Reels. It works well combined with an app that keeps the chats available elsewhere.
Is there a free option?
Yes. Hiding Reels while keeping DMs is free in minulo, UNDOOMED and Stillfeed, and minulo's messages-only setting is free too. Nope, a Safari extension for instagram.com and youtube.com, says it is fully free.
Does it work for YouTube Shorts and TikTok too?
minulo hides YouTube Shorts and TikTok's For You feed, and keeps YouTube search, subscriptions and TikTok messages. UNDOOMED and Stillfeed cover YouTube; UNDOOMED lists TikTok as unavailable, and TikTok is not mentioned on Stillfeed's App Store page.
