How to limit Reels and Shorts for a teenager
Instagram Teen Accounts and YouTube's supervised accounts let parents limit time, and YouTube lets a parent set the Shorts feed to zero; neither removes Reels from Instagram. StillTabs removes Reels and Shorts while keeping messages and friends, which many teens find easier to accept than a block. It's free, with no account and no ads.
What the platforms offer parents
- Instagram Teen Accounts (13–17): sleep mode by default from 10 PM to 7 AM, a reminder after an hour a day, and a parent can set a daily limit as low as 15 minutes and block the app after it.
- YouTube supervised accounts: a parent can set a Shorts feed timer, down to zero, and the teen can't dismiss it.
- Meta's 2026 agreement with US state attorneys general commits to a default two-hour daily limit for teens across Instagram and Facebook, a midnight-to-6 a.m. Night Mode and an optional non-algorithmic feed. Check which parts are live in your teen's app.
Why time limits alone often don't stick
A limit treats all of Instagram the same, so the messages from friends get locked along with the Reels, and that's what teens push back on. Removing the Reels and keeping the friends targets the part designed to keep them scrolling.
Setting up StillTabs with a teen
- Install StillTabs (free) on their iPhone and sign in to Instagram and YouTube on the platforms' own pages.
- Choose Strict for no short-form video anywhere, or Standard to keep friends' posts in a Following-only feed.
- Use Screen Time to limit the native Instagram and YouTube apps if you want StillTabs to be the main way in.
Be upfront: StillTabs has no parental lock, and the mode can be changed in Settings. It works best as something you agree on together, not as surveillance. StillTabs never shows you, or us, what your teen watches or writes.
StillTabs is free on the App Store, for iPhone. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no account. iOS 16 or later.
Sources
- Instagram Help: Teen Accounts: https://help.instagram.com/995996839195964
- YouTube, January 2026: supervised teen accounts and the Shorts timer: https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/updates-youtube-supervised-accounts-teens/
- Meta, August 2026: agreement with state attorneys general on teen accounts: https://about.fb.com/news/2026/08/agreement-with-state-attorneys-general-supporting-teens/
- Pew Research Center, 9 December 2025: Teens, social media and AI chatbots: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/12/09/teens-social-media-and-ai-chatbots-2025/
- StillTabs on the App Store (price, privacy label): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stilltabs-block-reels-shorts/id6761367777