Free app to use Instagram only for DMs on iPhone (2026)
Yes: StillTabs is a free iPhone app that shows Instagram with Reels, Explore and suggested posts removed, and its Blackout mode leaves only search, profiles and your DMs. minulo can also hide every tab except DMs for free. Konvo: DMs Only opens straight to your inbox, but it needs a paid subscription.
The short answer
Instagram's own app has no "messages only" setting. Reels, Explore and suggested posts are always one tap away. To keep your DMs without the scrolling, you need an app that shows Instagram for you with those parts hidden.
We found three iPhone apps whose own pages describe a mode built for this. Two of them offer it for free:
- StillTabs: free, no in-app purchases. Blackout mode leaves search, profiles and DMs.
- minulo: free download. Its "Every tab but DMs" setting is free; extra features need Pro.
- Konvo: DMs Only: opens to your inbox only. Its App Store listing says a paid subscription is required to use DMs.
Other Reels blockers exist too, such as FeedOff, Nope and Slowth. We only list apps here whose own pages describe a DMs-only mode.
Apps with a DMs-only mode, side by side
| StillTabs | minulo | Konvo: DMs Only | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMs-only mode | Blackout mode: only search, profiles and DMs | "Every tab but DMs" setting | The whole app: opens to your inbox; feed, Reels and Explore never load |
| Cost of the DMs-only mode | Free | Free | Subscription required |
| Paid options | None. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads | Pro: $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year (7-day trial on yearly) | Konvo Pro listed at $4.99 or $5.99 a week, $9.99 a month, $19.99 to $29.99 a year |
| Other networks | YouTube; Facebook, X and Reddit in beta | 10, including TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads | Instagram only |
| Stories | Yes | Not stated | Yes, a Stories tab |
| Stopping the old Instagram habit | Home Screen icon named Instagram that opens StillTabs; no Screen Time permission | Can block the official apps with Screen Time (free up to 2 hours at a time) | Can block Instagram with Screen Time, with two five-minute passes a day |
| New-message alerts | Not stated | Not stated | Optional; stores an encrypted Instagram session on its server (limited pilot) |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Linked to You | Data Not Linked to You | Data Linked to You, including User Content (Emails or Text Messages), User ID and Device ID |
| Devices | iPhone, iOS 16.0 or later | iPhone, iOS 16.4 or later | iPhone (iOS 15.0 or later) and Mac |
| App Store age rating | 17+ | 4+ | 4+ |
| US App Store ratings | New, no ratings yet | 1 rating | None yet |
StillTabs Blackout mode (free)
StillTabs shows Instagram inside its own app with Reels, Explore, suggested posts and autoplay removed. It has four modes, all free: Off, Standard, Strict and Blackout. Blackout leaves only search, profiles and DMs.
- Feels like Instagram. The toolbar is drawn natively, tabs stay loaded and edge swipes work. What that looks like.
- Keeps the habit. You can add a Home Screen icon named Instagram that opens StillTabs, set up from stilltabs.com/go/instagram in Safari. No Screen Time permission is needed. How the icon works.
- Up to five accounts per platform.
- Private by design. Pages load straight from Instagram, so your password and messages never pass through StillTabs. Analytics stay off unless you turn them on.
StillTabs is iPhone only and new, with no ratings yet. It has no TikTok or Snapchat. For a step-by-step setup, read how to use Instagram only for messages.
minulo (DMs-only setting free, Pro paid)
minulo also opens social networks inside its own app with Reels, Shorts and suggested posts hidden. Its website describes an "Every tab but DMs" setting for Instagram, and says it is free and works on TikTok too.
Hiding is free with no time limit. Pro, at $9.99 a month or $39.99 a year (7-day free trial on the yearly plan for new subscribers), adds Sleep mode, Work mode, Hard Mode, a daily limit and app blocks longer than 2 hours. minulo can also block the official apps with Screen Time permission. Full StillTabs vs minulo comparison.
Konvo: DMs Only (subscription)
Konvo is built for one thing: Instagram messages. It opens straight to your inbox, and the feed, Reels and Explore never load. DMs, group chats, message requests and story replies work, and there is a Stories tab.
The download is free, but its App Store description says: "A paid Konvo subscription is required to access Instagram DMs through the app." The App Store lists Konvo Pro at $4.99 or $5.99 a week, $9.99 a month, and $19.99 to $29.99 a year. Its terms list a yearly plan with a 7-day free trial.
Its App Store label lists data linked to you, including user content (emails or text messages), user ID and device ID. Its privacy policy says it does not save your message text.
Where minulo and Konvo are better
- minulo covers more networks. TikTok, Snapchat, Threads, Pinterest and LinkedIn are included. StillTabs has none of those. minulo also has a DMs-only setting for TikTok.
- minulo and Konvo can lock the real Instagram app with Screen Time, if you want a hard barrier. StillTabs never locks other apps.
- Konvo is the most focused. There is nothing but your inbox and Stories, it can alert you to new messages (optional, in a limited pilot), and it runs on Mac too.
- Lower age ratings and older iPhones. Both are rated 4+; Konvo runs on iOS 15.0. StillTabs is rated 17+ and needs iOS 16.0.
- More languages. Konvo comes in eight languages and minulo in thirteen.
Instagram in Safari
You can read and send DMs at instagram.com in Safari without any app. It costs nothing. But the website still has the feed and Reels, and Safari has no setting to hide them. It works as a stopgap, not as a fix.
Why Screen Time cannot do it
Screen Time can limit or block whole apps and websites. It cannot reach inside Instagram and hide Reels while leaving DMs. If you block Instagram, you lose your messages too. That is why the apps above load Instagram themselves and hide the parts you don't want. StillTabs vs Screen Time.
Common questions
Is there a free app to use Instagram only for DMs?
Yes. StillTabs is completely free, and its Blackout mode leaves only search, profiles and DMs. minulo's "Every tab but DMs" setting is also free. Konvo: DMs Only needs a paid subscription to use DMs.
Can I use Instagram without Reels but keep my DMs?
Not in the official Instagram app. Use an app that shows Instagram with Reels hidden, such as StillTabs or minulo. Your messages stay the same and show up in the normal Instagram app too.
Can Screen Time block Instagram Reels but not DMs?
No. Screen Time limits or blocks whole apps and websites, so blocking Instagram also blocks your messages.
Is Konvo free?
The download is free, but its App Store listing says a paid subscription is required to access Instagram DMs. The US App Store lists Konvo Pro from $4.99 a week to $29.99 a year.
Will my friends notice I use a DMs-only app?
No. These apps show Instagram itself, so your messages are sent and received through your normal Instagram account.
Who wrote this comparison?
The makers of StillTabs. Every fact about minulo and Konvo comes from their App Store pages, websites, privacy policy and terms, checked 8 November 2026 and linked below. 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: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6761367777
- minulo on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6809352229
- minulo App Store lookup (ratings, version): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6809352229&country=us
- minulo website: https://minulo.app/en/
- Konvo: DMs Only on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6794756261
- Konvo App Store lookup (ratings, version): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6794756261&country=us
- Konvo website: https://konvoinstall.com/
- Konvo privacy policy: https://konvoinstall.com/privacy
- Konvo terms of use: https://konvoinstall.com/terms
- Apple: Use Screen Time to manage your child's iPhone or iPad: https://support.apple.com/en-us/108806