StillTabs

Use the internet. Don't let it use you.

An app that strips the addictive parts out of your favorite platforms, and leaves everything else untouched.

View on the App Store

Your phone is designed to keep you using it.

The problem:

You open Instagram to check a message, and you are immediately surrounded by Reels, recommendations, and an infinite feed.

You open YouTube to watch one video, and Shorts pull you in before you find it.

The result is strangely harmful

You decide to use your phone for one thing.

The apps decide what you should do next.

Instead of blocking the apps you use, StillTabs removes the parts designed to keep you engaged and leaves the parts you actually came for.

Here's what it looks like.

We take out the addictive parts

Instagram without Reels. Your friends' posts, stories and messages stay exactly where they were.

Tiles grow with your screen time

Your launcher shows where your time really goes, and how many distractions StillTabs filtered out along the way.

Use your phone intentionally

YouTube without Shorts. Search, your subscriptions and the video you came for.

You decide how strict it gets

Off, Standard, Strict or Blackout. Switch whenever you like.

Works with

Five platforms, calmer.

Same platforms, same login, same content. Feels like the native app, just calmer.

YouTube

What goes

  • Shorts, everywhere
  • Autoplaying previews
  • The endless homepage

Stays: search, subscriptions, the video you came for.

Instagram

What goes

  • Reels
  • The Explore grid
  • Suggested posts once you're caught up

Stays: your friends' posts, stories, DMs.

X

Beta

What goes

  • The "For you" tab
  • Suggested accounts
  • Trends

Stays: Following, search, the news.

Reddit

Beta

What goes

  • Autoplaying videos
  • "Open in app" nags

Stays: your communities, threads and comments.

Facebook

What goes

  • Reels
  • Suggested Reels in your feed
  • The endless Reels viewer

Stays: friends, groups, messages.

What goes

Short-form video is the first thing to go. Then the other mechanisms that keep the loop going.

  • Short-form video
  • Infinite scrolling
  • Autoplay
  • Algorithmic recommendations
  • Endless feeds

What remains

The useful part of the app.

  • Posts from people you follow
  • Searching for something
  • A video you chose
  • Messaging your friends
  • The thing you came for

The difference is simple. The apps stop deciding what you do next. You do.

You don't need to…

StillTabs changes the incentives built into the experience.

Your phone should be a tool you use intentionally.

Not a machine competing for your attention.

Coming later

A browser extension, next.

ChromeBraveArcEdge

We're bringing StillTabs to your laptop too. It isn't out yet: join the mailing list to hear when it is.

Privacy

What you do in StillTabs stays private.

Read the privacy policy

  • We never see your passwords.
  • We never see what you watch or search.
  • We never see your messages.
  • No ads, no tracking, no selling. Ever.

Usage stats are optional, off by default, and never include any of this.

Who's building this

A small team, not a tech giant.

We built StillTabs because we wanted it ourselves, and we'll never sell your data.

Questions or ideas? Write to us, we read everything.

Follow along on Instagram

StillTabs puts you back in control

Get StillTabs.

For iPhone.

View on the App Store

Or get updates by email

We'll only email you about StillTabs availability. Nothing else, no sharing. See our Privacy Policy.