How to remove Reels on Instagram: every solution
There is no official setting to remove Reels from Instagram. But you can make them disappear, or almost: with a browser and an extension, with a lighter view like Livetime's, or by setting Instagram up to show you fewer of them. Here is everything that exists.
The short answer. On Android, the simplest option is to open Instagram in a view without Reels, like Instagram custom in Livetime. On iPhone, the Safari extension SocialFocus works well, but only in Safari. On a computer, a browser extension is enough. And stay away from modified Instagram apps: your account and your login details are at stake.
Why Instagram doesn't offer a button
Reels are the format that keeps people the longest: a short video, then the next one, without end. Instagram has no interest in letting you remove them. In the official app, you can see fewer of them, but you can't get rid of them.
1. Instagram's settings: see fewer of them
- The “Following” feed. Tap the Instagram logo at the top of the home screen and choose “Following”: only posts from the accounts you follow appear, in order. The Reels tab, though, stays put.
- Snoozing suggestions. On a suggested post, tap the cross: Instagram offers to snooze all suggested posts in your feed for 30 days. You have to do it again every month.
- “Not interested”. On a Reel, the “…” menu offers “Not interested”. It steers the algorithm, without removing anything.
- A daily limit. In the settings, the section about time spent lets you set a limit per day. Instagram tells you when you reach it, but you can keep going.
Menu names change often from one version to the next: if you can't find them, type “suggested” or “time spent” into the settings search.
2. Instagram in the browser, with an extension
Unlike the app, Instagram's website can be modified by an extension. It's the most effective method on iPhone and on a computer.
- On iPhone: SocialFocus. This Safari extension hides Instagram's Reels, feed, stories or Explore page, and works for YouTube too. It works well, but only in Safari: you have to use Instagram from the browser, not from the app. It's a paid app. The step-by-step guide is in Instagram without Reels on iPhone.
- On Android: Firefox and an extension. Firefox for Android accepts extensions like IGPlus, which hides Reels and Explore on instagram.com. You can then add the site to your home screen like an app. Some features, such as posting a video story, work poorly from the browser.
- On a computer. Several extensions for Chrome and Firefox hide Reels and Explore. Pick a recent, well-rated one, and check the permissions it asks for.
3. Modified Instagram apps: avoid them
Unofficial versions of Instagram circulate outside the app stores, promising an app without Reels. They break Instagram's terms of use, and your account can be suspended. Above all, you hand them your username and password, with no guarantee about what they do with them. We advise against them.
4. Livetime: Instagram without Reels, on Android
Livetime opens Instagram in a lighter view, Instagram custom. You keep your friends, your messages and your stories, and you choose what to remove:
- the Reels button;
- suggested posts;
- the home feed;
- the posts on the Explore page.
You can also switch Instagram to black and white. And since Livetime is your home screen, it can ask you how many minutes you want to spend on Instagram before you go in, then close the app when the time is up.
Instagram custom, on video. The real screen recordings are on the Features page. Livetime works on Android.
Which solution should you choose?
| Your situation | The best solution |
|---|---|
| You're on Android | Instagram custom in Livetime, or Firefox with an extension |
| You're on iPhone | SocialFocus in Safari, with the Instagram app deleted or hidden |
| You're on a computer | A browser extension |
| You just want to see fewer of them | The “Following” feed and snoozing suggestions |
Frequently asked questions
Can you turn off Reels in Instagram's settings?
No. No setting in the official app removes Reels. You can only see fewer of them, with the “Following” feed, snoozing suggestions and “Not interested”.
Is it risky to use an extension?
An extension changes how the site looks in your browser, without touching your account. Choose a well-rated one and check the permissions it asks for. Modified Instagram apps, on the other hand, are risky: they collect your login details.
Does Livetime work on iPhone?
No, Livetime is a home screen for Android, and the iPhone doesn't let you change yours. On iPhone, the best option is SocialFocus in Safari.
Written by Emile Clement, a student and the creator of Livetime, after two years of testing almost every screen-time solution out there.
