I built an app to block Shorts and Reels
I wanted to find a way to use Instagram without ending up scrolling for two hours every time I open the app to see a friend's story. Most screen time apps I found focus on blocking the app itself instead of the addictive feed, so I created this app to allow me to keep using the "healthy" and "social" features and block the infinite scrolling (Reels) After implementing the block on Instagram Reels, I got addicted to YouTube Shorts and Reddit feed. So, I extended the app to cover these as well. To avoid replacing the scrolling for regular feeds, I also added a feature that shows a pop-up when…
I built an app to block Shorts and Reels launched on August 16, 2025 with 690 votes, #14 of 8,530 launches that month and more than 99% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.
In plain words
This Android app blocks infinite-scroll features like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Reddit feeds while preserving other app functions like messaging and stories. It lets users maintain social connections without falling into extended scrolling sessions. The app includes a pop-up reminder when users over-scroll in any application, forcing a brief pause for reflection before continuing. It uses Android's accessibility service to detect and interrupt scrolling behavior.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Stop endless scrolling on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts & TikTok. Keep your social connections, block the distractions. Get 3+ hours back every day.
Block Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Facebook Reels, and X feeds. Keep your DMs, stories, and social connections. Get 3+ hours back every day.
Block endless scrolling without losing your social life. Stay connected with friends while cutting out the algorithm-driven distractions. lost to Reels after opening the app just to “check a DM.” Energy and focus, drained by mindless scrolling before the day even starts. Unlike screen time apps that lock everything, ScrollGuard surgically removes only the addictive parts while preserving genuine connections. Works directly inside your apps. ScrollGuard runs on top of Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, LinkedIn, and more, detecting and blocking short-form video feeds in real time while you use the native apps. Remove short-form video feeds from Instagram, YouTube, Facebook,…from scrollguard.app
In the maker’s words, at launch
I wanted to find a way to use Instagram without ending up scrolling for two hours every time I open the app to see a friend's story. Most screen time apps I found focus on blocking the app itself instead of the addictive feed, so I created this app to allow me to keep using the "healthy" and "social" features and…
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Stop Reels2025 · chromewebstore.google.com · ▲163Hey HN, I just launched a free Chrome extension called Stop Reels — it blocks Reels/short videos on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, without breaking other features like messaging or the regular feed. Why I built it Like many people, I found myself endlessly scrolling Reels even when I only opened the apps for something specific. The algorithms are too good at hijacking attention. There are tools to block entire sites, but none I found that just surgically block Reels and Shorts — and leave the rest of the platform functional (DMs, posts, marketplace, etc). So I built…
ScreenBreakDec 2025 · screenbreak.app · ▲125Hi HN, I built ScreenBreak after realizing that most app blockers failed in practice. “Hard blocks” were too rigid — I either locked myself out entirely or tapped Ignore Limit and kept scrolling. There was no useful middle state. In reality, people still need to open apps like TikTok or Instagram for specific tasks: looking something up, replying to someone, checking updates, etc. The problem isn’t intentional use; it’s the unplanned, unconscious scrolling that follows. I wanted a system that interrupts the impulse without fully preventing access. ScreenBreak uses soft blocking plus…
snowscrollJun 2026 · snowscroll.com · ▲21Hey all, I'm Jun. I've always struggled with my doomscrolling habit, and so I spent the last few months building an app to remove short-form, addicting content from all major social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, Linkedin, TikTok). The app has the option to further customize (removing home feeds, stories, other subtabs, etc). Launch Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ablpEFt74
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Source: Show HN post ↗ · launch text quoted in part
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