Block Instagram Reels and keep your DMs

ShortBlocker is a free Android app that leaves Instagram Reels as soon as one opens and leaves the rest of Instagram alone. Your messages, feed, Stories, search and profiles keep working, and a Reel a friend sends you in a message still plays so you can watch it and reply.

Updated 15 October 2026. For ShortBlocker 1.1.1 on Android 8 or later.

How to block Reels on Instagram

Install ShortBlocker from Google Play.
Open it and switch on Instagram.
Tap Open settings, find ShortBlocker in Android’s Accessibility list, switch it on and tap Allow. The setup guide has the exact menus for Google Pixel, Samsung, Xiaomi and other phones.

That’s all. Open Instagram as usual: when a Reel opens, ShortBlocker steps you out of it.

What keeps working in Instagram

Messages. Your inbox and chats are not blocked.
Reels friends send you. A Reel sent to you in a message plays, so you can watch it and reply. If you swipe on to the recommended Reels after it, ShortBlocker blocks them.
Feed, Stories, search and profiles. Only Reels are blocked.

Websites aren’t covered: ShortBlocker works in the Instagram app, not in a web browser.

Free or Premium?

The free plan blocks one app at a time, so you can choose Instagram and change it whenever you like. Premium blocks Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat at the same time. Both have no ads and no account. See the plans.

If a short video is ever missed, or something is blocked by mistake, tap Report a screen in the app (or Wrong? on the blocked notice). It takes two taps and we’ll fix it.

Questions

How do I block Instagram Reels but keep Instagram DMs?

Install ShortBlocker, switch on Instagram and allow accessibility access. Reels are blocked when they open, and your messages, feed, Stories, search and profiles keep working.

Can I still watch a Reel a friend sends me on Instagram?

Yes. A Reel sent to you in a message plays, so you can watch it and reply. If you swipe on to the recommended Reels after it, ShortBlocker blocks them.

Does ShortBlocker block Instagram Stories?

No. Stories, the feed, search and profiles keep working. Only Reels are blocked.

Does it block Reels in a web browser?

No. ShortBlocker works in the Instagram app. Websites in a web browser aren’t blocked.