StillTabs vs Scroll Less: blocking Reels inside the Instagram app, or around it
Scroll Less blocks Reels and Shorts inside the official Instagram and YouTube apps by running an iOS screen broadcast; StillTabs is a free Scroll Less alternative that shows Instagram and YouTube in its own app with Reels, Shorts, Explore and suggested posts removed, and needs no broadcast. StillTabs is free with nothing to buy and nothing running in the background; Scroll Less sells Premium from $4.99 to $49.99, and its in-app blocking only works while a screen broadcast keeps running.
The short version
Both apps let you keep Instagram DMs, search and stories while cutting out the endless video feeds. They get there in opposite ways.
- Scroll Less works inside the real apps. You choose what to block, then start its Blocker. iOS asks you to start a broadcast for Scroll Less, and that is how it spots Reels and Shorts as they appear. Its website says detection runs on your iPhone and nothing on your screen is sent anywhere. You can stop the broadcast from Control Center.
- StillTabs works around the real apps. It opens Instagram and YouTube inside StillTabs, with Reels, Shorts, Explore, suggested posts, "For you" feeds and autoplay already gone. Home Screen icons named Instagram and YouTube open StillTabs, so your thumb goes where it always did. It never locks or changes the official apps.
Scroll Less also has a second mode, which it calls Hide: you open Instagram, YouTube or Reddit inside Scroll Less's built-in browser and hide things like Explore, the home feed, suggested posts and related videos. That part works much like StillTabs.
Side by side
| StillTabs | Scroll Less | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads | Free download with in-app purchases: Scroll Less Premium $4.99, Premium Annual $29.99, Lifetime $14.99 and $49.99, and a $5.99 lifetime offer |
| How it removes Reels and Shorts | Shows Instagram and YouTube inside StillTabs with them removed | Blocks them inside the official Instagram and YouTube apps while its Blocker (an iOS screen broadcast) runs; also has a built-in browser |
| Screen broadcast | Not used | Required for blocking inside the official apps |
| Explore, suggested posts, home feeds | Removed (exact set depends on the mode you pick) | Can be hidden in its built-in browser |
| Keeps DMs, stories, search | Yes | Yes |
| Strictness | Four modes, all free: Off, Standard, Strict, Blackout (only search, profiles and DMs) | Pick what to block or hide; app blocking sessions; an Accountability PIN someone else can hold |
| Networks | Instagram, YouTube; Facebook, X, Reddit in beta | Instagram and YouTube (in the apps and in its browser); Reddit in its browser |
| Accounts | Up to 5 per platform | Not stated |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Linked to You | Data Not Linked to You: usage data (product interaction) for analytics and app functionality |
| In-app analytics | Off until you turn them on | Analytics listed on its label |
| Requires | iOS 16.0 | iOS 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone only | iPhone (its App Store page also lists Mac with Apple M1 or later and Apple Vision compatibility; not verified for macOS) |
| App Store ratings (US) | New, no ratings yet | 4.5 from 25 ratings |
Where StillTabs is better
- Nothing to buy. Every StillTabs feature, including the strictest mode, is free. Scroll Less is free to download but sells Premium, from $4.99 to $49.99. Its website sends you to the App Store page for current pricing, and we could not find a list of which features are paid.
- Nothing has to keep running. Scroll Less only blocks Reels in the official apps while its screen broadcast is on; stop it from Control Center and Reels are back until you tap Resume Blocker. StillTabs has no broadcast: Reels simply aren't there.
- Problems reported by users. The most recent review on Scroll Less's US App Store page (18 October 2026, one star) says it doesn't work, and an earlier reviewer couldn't get suggested-post blocking to work.
- No permissions over your phone. StillTabs doesn't need a screen broadcast, Screen Time access, device management or a Safari extension. It never locks or changes other apps. What to check before giving any app these permissions.
- Explore and suggestions go too. StillTabs removes Explore, suggested posts, "For you" feeds and autoplay in the same place it removes Reels and Shorts. Scroll Less's website and blog describe its official-app Blocker as covering Reels and Shorts, with Explore, suggested posts and the feeds hidden in its built-in browser.
- Analytics are opt-in. StillTabs keeps analytics off unless you switch them on. Pages load straight from each platform, so your passwords and messages never pass through StillTabs. Is StillTabs safe?
- Older iPhones. StillTabs runs on iOS 16.0; Scroll Less needs iOS 17.6.
- It feels like the app. StillTabs draws Instagram's toolbar natively, keeps tabs loaded and supports edge swipes, with up to five accounts per platform. What that looks like.
Where Scroll Less is better
- It works in the official apps, as long as its broadcast is running. StillTabs shows Instagram and YouTube inside its own app, so a few features of the official apps may not be there.
- Extra controls, such as app blocking sessions and an Accountability PIN.
- Ratings. It has been on the App Store since March 2025 and has 25 US ratings. StillTabs is new and has none yet.
Can you block Reels inside the Instagram app on iPhone?
Only partly. Instagram has no switch to turn Reels off, and iOS doesn't let one app change another. Scroll Less gets around this by watching your screen through a broadcast and blocking Reels when it spots them, which only works while the broadcast is running.
StillTabs takes a different route: you can keep the official app installed but open Instagram through StillTabs instead, using a Home Screen icon named Instagram. How the icon works. For every option, including free ones, see how to block Reels and Shorts on iPhone.
Other free options
StillTabs isn't the only free choice. FeedOff and Nope are also free to download with no in-app purchases listed on their US App Store pages, and each works differently. Our comparison hub covers them, and the hidden costs of Reels blockers lists what paid apps charge.
Common questions
What is a good Scroll Less alternative?
If you want something completely free with no screen broadcast, StillTabs shows Instagram and YouTube without Reels, Shorts, Explore or suggested posts and keeps your DMs. FeedOff and Nope are also free, with no in-app purchases listed. Scroll Less works inside the official apps, but only while its screen broadcast runs, and it sells Premium.
Is Scroll Less free?
It is free to download and sells in-app purchases on the US App Store: Scroll Less Premium $4.99, Premium Annual $29.99, Lifetime $14.99 and $49.99, and a $5.99 lifetime offer. We could not find which features need Premium. StillTabs has no in-app purchases.
How does Scroll Less block Reels inside the Instagram app?
You start its Blocker, and iOS asks you to start a screen broadcast for Scroll Less. Its website says that is how it detects Reels and Shorts, on your iPhone, without sending your screen anywhere. You can stop it from Control Center.
Does StillTabs work inside the official Instagram app?
No. StillTabs shows Instagram inside its own app with Reels, Explore and suggested posts removed. A Home Screen icon named Instagram opens StillTabs, so you don't need to open the official app. It never locks or changes other apps.
Scroll Less vs StillTabs: which collects less data?
Both App Store labels say "Data Not Linked to You". Scroll Less lists usage data for analytics and app functionality. StillTabs keeps analytics off unless you turn them on, and stilltabs.com loads no third-party trackers.
Who wrote this comparison?
The makers of StillTabs. Every fact about Scroll Less comes from its US App Store page, the App Store lookup data and scroll-less.com, checked 8 November 2026. If something changed, tell us and we will fix it.
StillTabs is free on the App Store, for iPhone. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no account. iOS 16 or later.
Sources
- StillTabs on the App Store (price, privacy label): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stilltabs-block-reels-shorts/id6761367777
- StillTabs privacy policy: https://stilltabs.com/privacy
- Scroll Less on the US App Store (in-app purchases, privacy label, iOS minimum, version history): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6741134096
- Scroll Less App Store lookup (price, ratings, version): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6741134096&country=us
- Scroll Less website (how the Blocker works, privacy, FAQ): https://scroll-less.com/
- Scroll Less blog: blocking Reels inside the Instagram and YouTube apps: https://scroll-less.com/blog/block-reels-shorts-inside-instagram-youtube-iphone
- Privacy policy linked from the Scroll Less App Store page: https://feedfreed.app/privacy_policy.html