Put the phone down without giving it up
Practical guides for people who scroll more than they meant to. Most of what follows works whether or not you ever install our app, and we say plainly where a different tool fits you better. If you want to feel what we built first, the homepage runs the real thing in your browser.
- 1You swipe, the fluid pushes backThe reel stays put while a wave rises under your thumb.
- 2Past the line, a bubble breaks freeAs it floats away, the feed moves exactly one reel.
Start here
- How to Reduce Screen Time: 10 Changes That Actually StickHow to reduce screen time without deleting your apps: ten changes ranked by how many hours they save, with the exact iPhone and Android settings.
- InstagramHow to Block Instagram Reels on Android and Keep Your DMsInstagram has no off switch for Reels. Block Instagram Reels on Android in a couple of minutes and keep your DMs, Stories and feed. Free, no account.
- Apps to Stop Doomscrolling: 10 Options, Compared HonestlyLooking for an app to stop doomscrolling? Ten options compared by how they stop you, what they cost and what they keep, including free ones with no ads.
Block the feed, keep the app
Reels, Shorts and For You are separate surfaces inside apps you still need. These guides turn them off one at a time.
- InstagramHow to Stop Scrolling Instagram (Without Deleting It)How to stop scrolling Instagram but keep your messages: block Reels, hide suggested posts and Explore, and make every swipe cost effort. Free.
- TikTokHow to Stop Scrolling TikTok (and Keep the People You Follow)How to stop scrolling TikTok: block the For You feed, keep Following and DMs, and make every swipe cost effort. Free on Android and iPhone, no account.
- InstagramHow to Block Instagram Reels on Android and Keep Your DMsInstagram has no off switch for Reels. Block Instagram Reels on Android in a couple of minutes and keep your DMs, Stories and feed. Free, no account.
- YouTubeHow to Block YouTube Shorts on Android and Keep the Rest of YouTubeYouTube only hides Shorts for 30 days. Block YouTube Shorts on Android for good and keep subscriptions, playlists and search. Free, no account needed.
- TikTokHow to Block the TikTok For You Page and Keep the AppTikTok has no switch for For You. Block the TikTok For You page on Android in a couple of minutes and keep Following, search and DMs. Free, no account.
- InstagramHow to Block Instagram Reels on iPhoneInstagram has no switch to disable Reels. Block Instagram Reels on iPhone in a few minutes and keep your DMs, Stories and feed. Free, no account needed.
- YouTubeHow to Block YouTube Shorts on iPhoneYouTube only hides Shorts for 30 days. Block YouTube Shorts on iPhone for good and keep subscriptions, search and playlists. Free, no account needed.
- TikTokHow to Block the TikTok For You Page on iPhoneTikTok has no switch to turn off For You. Block the TikTok For You page on iPhone and keep Following, DMs and search. Free, no account needed.
- SnapchatHow to Block Snapchat Spotlight on iPhone and AndroidSnapchat has no setting to disable Spotlight. Block Snapchat Spotlight on iPhone or Android and keep chats, snaps and streaks. Free, no account.
- InstagramHow to Block Instagram on Your Phone (Android and iPhone)How to block Instagram on your phone without deleting it: daily limits, a set number of opens, schedules or a full block, on Android and iPhone, free.
- FacebookHow to Block Facebook Reels and Keep the Rest of FacebookFacebook has no switch to turn off Reels. How to block Facebook Reels on Android and iPhone and keep your feed, groups, Marketplace and Messenger.
- FacebookHow to Turn Off Suggested Posts on Facebook and See Only FriendsHow to turn off suggested posts on Facebook so your feed shows friends and Pages you follow: the built in Friends feed, and a free way to hide them.
- InstagramHow to Turn Off Suggested Posts on Instagram for GoodHow to turn off suggested posts on Instagram: the 30 day snooze, the Following feed, and a free way to see only accounts you follow every time you open it.
- YouTubeHow to Turn Off YouTube Recommendations (and Autoplay)How to turn off YouTube recommendations on your phone: the watch history trick, the autoplay switch, and a free way to watch only what you search for.
- XHow to Get Rid of the For You Tab on X (Twitter)How to get rid of For You on X so it opens on Following: what X lets you do, why it keeps switching back, and a free way to hide For You for good.
- InstagramInstagram DMs Only: Use Instagram Just for MessagesWant Instagram DMs only, without the feed, Reels or Explore? How to use Instagram just for messages on iPhone and Android, free and with no account.
- InstagramHow to Hide the Explore Page on Instagram and Keep SearchHow to hide Explore on Instagram so search works without the grid of suggested posts and reels. Free on iPhone, plus what to do on Android.
Not sure where to start?
Answer four quick questions and get the setup that fits how you actually scroll.
Get your own setup in four taps
1. Which phone do you use?
2. Which app takes most of your time?
3. When does it happen most?
4. What have you already tried?
Choosing a tool
Honest comparisons, including the cases where something else fits you better than we do.
- Apps to Stop Doomscrolling: 10 Options, Compared HonestlyLooking for an app to stop doomscrolling? Ten options compared by how they stop you, what they cost and what they keep, including free ones with no ads.
- InstagramApps That Block Instagram Reels and Keep Your DMs, ComparedLooking for an app to block Instagram Reels but keep your DMs? Ten options on Android and iPhone, compared on price, ads and what you keep. Free picks.
- Looking for an Opal Alternative on Android? Read This FirstLooking for a free Opal alternative for Android? Compare prices, pick by how your last blocker failed, and see one that adds friction instead of walls.
- Free App Blockers for Android, Compared by How They FailFree app blockers for Android compared on real prices and on how each one fails: trackers, hard blockers, pause screens, feed blockers and friction.
- An NFC Phone Blocker Without Buying the HardwareYou do not need a $59 cube for an NFC phone blocker. On Android any tag works, from a transit card to a cheap sticker. Setup takes two minutes, free.
- Opal Alternative for iPhone: How to Choose OneEvery Opal alternative for iPhone uses the same Apple Screen Time API. What differs is price and mechanism. Here is how to pick, and a free option.
- Looking for a one sec Alternative? Read the Mechanism FirstThe breathing pause stops working once you stop noticing it. A free one sec alternative that resists every swipe, plus prices of the main options.
- Brick Alternative: Get the Same Ritual Without Buying HardwareBrick works because tapping an object is a real decision. Any NFC tag does that job, so here is a free Brick alternative, plus how the prices compare.
- Free SocialLite Alternative: Block Reels Without a SubscriptionLooking for a free SocialLite alternative? SocialLite Pro costs up to $99.99 a year. Compare five options, and one where every blocking tool is free.
Why scrolling wins
The mechanics behind compulsive scrolling, and why willpower and hard blocks keep losing to it.
- How to Reduce Screen Time: 10 Changes That Actually StickHow to reduce screen time without deleting your apps: ten changes ranked by how many hours they save, with the exact iPhone and Android settings.
- How to Stop Doomscrolling: 7 Steps That Work on Your PhoneHow to stop doomscrolling without deleting your apps: seven steps that change your phone, not your willpower, plus a free setup made for how you scroll.
- How to Stop Scrolling on Your Phone: 9 Fixes That WorkHow to stop scrolling on your phone without deleting apps: nine fixes for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and late nights, from settings to a free app.
- How to Stop Bedrotting When Your Phone Keeps You ThereHow to stop bedrotting without guilt: tell rest from avoidance, take the phone out of the loop, and use small steps that get you up. Free tools included.
- Why App Blockers Don't Work, and What DoesApp blockers don't work because every one ships an off switch, and the moment you want it gone is the moment it is easiest to reach. The failure pattern.
- Why You Scroll at Night, and How to Make Those Hours DifferentWhat night scrolling means, why the same feed is harder to leave after 10pm, and how to stop scrolling at night with a schedule instead of willpower.
- iPhone Screen Time Not Working? Fix It, Then Fix the Real ProblemiPhone Screen Time not working, or a limit that never blocks? Find which of six causes it is in ten seconds, then fix it in about two minutes.
- Why Can't I Stop Scrolling? The Mechanic Behind ItWhy can't I stop scrolling is a design question, not a willpower one. Three mechanics keep the feed moving, and each one has a specific counter.
- RedditHow to Stop Doomscrolling Reddit Without Leaving ItHow to stop doomscrolling Reddit: turn off home feed recommendations, mute the subreddits that pull you in, and make every swipe cost a little effort. Free.
How friction works
The physics, the thresholds and the design decisions behind the app.
- Scroll Friction, Explained: Resistance Instead of RulesScroll friction adds physical resistance to the swipe instead of blocking apps. How the wave, the threshold and the bubble work, and why it survives 1am.
- Friction vs Blocking: Which One Actually Suits Your ProblemFriction vs blocking is the real choice in every screen time app. One stops you at the door, one makes continuing cost something. Here is which fits when.