How to Block Instagram on Android and iPhone (App, Website and Reels)

You open Instagram to answer one message. Then a Reel starts playing, then another, and half an hour is gone. You've probably tried to cut back already. Maybe you deleted the app, and it was back a few days later.

This guide covers every way to block Instagram on your phone, from Instagram's own settings to a block you can't switch off, and it's honest about what each one can and can't do.

Looking to block a person, not the app? Instagram explains that on its Blocking People help page. The rest of this guide is about blocking the Instagram app itself.

The short answer: on Android, open Settings > Digital Wellbeing, pick Instagram and set an app timer. On a Pixel you can set it to 0 minutes, which keeps Instagram paused all day, and add a 0-minute site timer for instagram.com in Chrome so the browser doesn't become your backup. On iPhone, use Screen Time. There's no official way to remove only Reels. If you keep undoing your own limits, you need a block that can't be switched off from the phone, like StoicOS on Android.

Menu names change between Android versions, phone brands and Instagram updates. If you can't find a setting below, type its name (for example "app timer" or "Private DNS") into the search box at the top of Settings.

1. Use Instagram's own daily limit

Meta has moved and renamed Instagram's time settings several times, so your app may look slightly different. According to Instagram's help page, the current steps are:

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Time management.
4. Tap Daily limit.
5. Choose an amount of time and tap the back arrow in the top left.

Instagram calls this a reminder, and that's what it is. When you hit the limit, you get a message and can keep scrolling. If you have a Teen Account, you're set to a 1-hour daily limit by default, and a parent can choose to block Instagram once the limit is reached.

2. Set an app timer

An app timer is your phone's own limit, so Instagram can't wave it away. On Android, when the timer runs out, Instagram closes, its icon turns gray and an App paused message appears if you tap it. It starts again the next day. On a Pixel you can set the timer to 0 minutes, which keeps Instagram paused all day. The catch: the App paused message has a Settings button that takes you straight to the timer.

Google Pixel (stock Android 16)

1. Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing.
2. Tap View app activity details.
3. Find Instagram and tap the timer (hourglass) next to it.
4. Choose a time and tap OK.

If you only want Instagram gone at certain times, Focus mode in the same menu pauses the apps you pick on a schedule. You can take a break from it in one tap, so it's a gentle tool.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings > Digital Wellbeing and parental controls.
2. Tap App timers, then Apps and app categories.
3. Select Instagram.
4. Tap Add schedule, choose the days and the time limit, then tap Save.

Other Android phones

OnePlus, Xiaomi and most other brands have the same feature under a different name. Search Settings for "app timer", "screen time" or "Digital Wellbeing".

iPhone

On iOS 27, go to Settings > Screen Time > Time Allowances and set a daily allowance for the Social Media category. Apple says the allowance also applies to an app's own website. On iOS 26 and earlier, use Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit, pick Instagram and set a time. To block the website on iOS 26, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > App Store, Media, Web & Games > Web Content, choose Limit Adult Websites and add instagram.com under Never Allow.

Limits you set for yourself can be extended or ignored when you hit them. They work best when someone else holds the Screen Time passcode.

3. Uninstall Instagram

Deleting the app is free and takes the feed off your home screen.

1. Press and hold the Instagram icon.
2. Tap Uninstall (on some phones: App info > Uninstall).
3. Confirm.

Your account and photos stay as they are. Log out first if you want an extra step next time. Uninstalling works best together with a browser block, because instagram.com still works in Chrome, Reels included.

4. Block instagram.com in your browser

Chrome on Android has no built-in setting to block a website. These are your options:

• Chrome site timer (Pixel). Visit instagram.com in Chrome once. Then open Settings > Digital Wellbeing, tap View app activity details, find Chrome, tap the hourglass next to instagram.com and set it to 0 minutes. Chrome then shows Site paused instead of Instagram. This only covers Chrome, and Samsung's Digital Wellbeing has no site timers.
• Private DNS with a filtering service. Filtering services such as NextDNS can block Instagram for every app on the phone. In NextDNS, open Parental Control, tap Add a website, app or game and add Instagram. Then copy your personal hostname from the Setup tab (it looks like abc123.dns.nextdns.io) and paste it under Settings > Network & internet > Private DNS (Pixel) or Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Private DNS (Samsung). In our test on a Pixel, this blocked both instagram.com and the Instagram app. It's a few taps to turn off.
• Family Link (for a child's phone). In the Family Link app, open your child's profile and go to Controls > Google Chrome and Web > Manage sites, then add instagram.com under Blocked. Family Link is built for supervising a child's account, not for limiting yourself.
• A blocker app. Apps like BlockSite help, but you can uninstall them as easily as you installed them. Our review of apps to stop scrolling explains why.

The TikTok guide walks through the site timer and Private DNS steps in more detail. They work the same way for Instagram.

5. What about blocking only Reels?

For a lot of people, Reels are the real problem. Messages and friends' posts are fine. The endless video feed is what eats the evening.

The honest answer: Instagram has no official setting to turn off Reels or remove the Reels tab. Here's what you can do:

• Switch to the Following feed. Tap the Instagram logo at the top of the home feed and choose Following. You'll see posts from accounts you follow, in order. The Reels tab is still there, and the app may switch you back to the regular feed next time.
• Tap "Not interested" on Reels. This changes what you see, not how much.
• Use the daily limit. It counts all your Instagram time, Reels included, but it's only a reminder.

You'll find modified Instagram apps online that remove Reels. We don't recommend them. They're unofficial, you hand your login to an unknown developer, and they can get your account restricted.

If Reels are your main problem, and the workarounds above haven't held, the realistic choice is between keeping Instagram with Reels or blocking Instagram completely.

Why Instagram keeps coming back

Every method above has an off switch, and you're the one holding it:

• Instagram's daily limit: dismiss the reminder and keep scrolling.
• App timer: two taps in Settings to remove it.
• Uninstalling: the Play Store has it back in about a minute, and your account is waiting.
• Chrome site timer: open another browser.
• Private DNS: set it back to "Automatic".
• Blocker apps: uninstall them, or turn off their permissions.

Instagram also has more pull than most apps because it mixes things you need with things you don't. You open it for a message from a friend and the feed is one swipe away. That's why "I'll only use it for DMs" rarely lasts.

The permanent option: StoicOS

StoicOS is an Android system that blocks addictive apps at the system level, using Android's Device Owner permissions. It can't be turned off or uninstalled from the phone. You decide once and stop negotiating with yourself.

For Instagram, that means:

• The app is blocked. Social media is one of the blocked categories, together with streaming, games, porn and gambling.
• The website is blocked too. StoicOS has a global web blocklist that includes social sites, so instagram.com won't load in the browser. You can add your own URLs.
• The rest of your phone works. Calls, messaging, maps, banking, music, health and learning apps are always allowed. If you need another app, Request & Review checks it against the policy and approves it in under a minute if it's allowed.

What it doesn't do: StoicOS blocks whole apps. It can't keep Instagram and remove only Reels, and it can't give you "20 minutes a day". Instagram messages go with the app. If friends mainly reach you there, move those chats to a messaging app first, or use a chat app like Beeper that brings your Instagram messages into one inbox without the feed.

Setup takes about 10 minutes with a computer (Chrome or Edge) and a USB cable. You don't need a factory reset. It works on Android 9 and up, on Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus and most other phones. There's no iPhone version, because Apple doesn't allow this level of control.

Which method should you pick?

Method	Can you undo it in a weak moment?	Cost	Effort
Instagram daily limit	Yes, dismiss the reminder	Free	Low
Following feed	Yes, Reels are one tap away	Free	Low
Android app timer	Yes, two taps in Settings	Free	Low
Uninstalling Instagram	Yes, reinstall takes a minute	Free	Low
Chrome site timer	Yes, use another browser	Free	Low
Private DNS filtering	Yes, switch back to "Automatic"	Free or paid	Medium
iPhone Screen Time	Yes, unless someone else has the code	Free	Low
StoicOS	No	From €7/month	10-minute setup

If you only scroll a little too much, an app timer plus a Chrome site timer is often enough. If Instagram has survived a few deletions already, go straight to a block you can't undo.

Get your life back with StoicOS

Android 9+ · From €7/month · 30-day money-back guarantee · Not available on iPhone

Related guides

• How to block TikTok
• How to block websites on Android
• How to disable YouTube Shorts
• How to check screen time on Android
• How to make your phone grayscale
• How to stop doomscrolling

Frequently asked questions

How do I block Instagram on Android?

Set an app timer in Settings > Digital Wellbeing (on Samsung: Digital Wellbeing and parental controls), or uninstall the app. On a Pixel, add a Chrome site timer for instagram.com so the website doesn't replace the app. For a block you can't remove from the phone, use a system-level blocker like StoicOS.

Does Instagram's daily limit block the app?

No. Instagram's daily limit is a reminder. When you reach it you get a message, but you can keep using the app. Teen Accounts are the exception, where a parent can block Instagram once the limit is reached.

Can I turn off Reels on Instagram?

No, Instagram has no official setting to turn off Reels or remove the Reels tab. The Following feed and "Not interested" reduce how many Reels you see, but they don't remove them.

How do I block instagram.com in Chrome?

Chrome on Android can't block websites by itself. On a Pixel you can set a site timer for instagram.com through Digital Wellbeing, use Private DNS with a filtering service that blocks instagram.com, or use Family Link on a child's phone.

How do I block Instagram on iPhone?

On iOS 27, set a Time Allowance for the Social Media category in Settings > Screen Time. On iOS 26 and earlier, use Screen Time > App Limits and block instagram.com under Content & Privacy Restrictions. Limits you set for yourself can be ignored, so they work best when someone else knows the passcode.

How do I block someone on Instagram?

That's a different setting from blocking the app. Instagram's Blocking People help page at help.instagram.com explains how to block and unblock an account.

Can StoicOS block only Instagram Reels?

No. StoicOS blocks whole apps, so Instagram is blocked completely, including Reels, the feed and messages. For messages, you can use a chat app like Beeper instead. If you want to keep Instagram and only cut Reels, there's currently no reliable way to do that.