jane_d
The Lite browser
Instagram and YouTube with the addictive parts hidden: Reels, Shorts, Explore, suggested posts and ads. DMs, stories, profiles, search and posting stay.
Free iPhone app · Instagram & YouTube
Instagram without the Reels. Free.
Keep your DMs, stories and friends. Lose the endless scroll. No subscription, no account, no tracking.
Feed on · try the switch
You're on the list. One email when it's live, nothing else.
One email on launch day. No newsletter.
Free forever
No account
Rules updated weekly
Open-source filters
How it works
Two halves. Both free.
A calmer version of each app, and a way to stop yourself opening the real one.
Reels are offOpen Instagram Lite instead.
The Shield
The real apps open to a block screen on your schedule, using Apple's Screen Time. Their notifications still arrive, so you never miss a message.
Widgets
Instagram Lite and YouTube Lite, one tap from your Home Screen or Lock Screen. Put them where the real icons used to be.
Compare
Everything the paid apps charge for. Free.
FeedOff is the free version of what others sell as a subscription.
| FeedOff | SocialLite | ScrollGuard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no in-app purchases | About $3.99 / month for Pro | Free core, Pro from $3.99 / month |
| Blocks the real apps (Screen Time) | Included | Paid tier | Not on iOS |
| Hides ads and suggested posts | Included | Paid tier | Custom filters are paid |
| Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets | Included | Not advertised | Yes |
| Account required | Never | Not required | Not required |
| Filter rules you can read and fix | Public on GitHub | No | No |
Last checked 22 Sep 2026 from each app's public listing. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.
What stays, what goes
You keep the people. You lose the feed.
Hidden
- Reels tab and Reels feed
- Explore
- Suggested posts
- Ads and sponsored posts
- Live and Shop
Stays
- Posts from people you follow
- Stories
- DMs
- Profiles and search
- Posting a photo
- A reel someone sends you
YouTube
Hidden
- Shorts shelf and Shorts tab
- Home recommendations
- Autoplay next video
- Ads
- Related videos (optional)
Stays
- Subscriptions feed
- Search
- Watching any video
- History and playlists
- Comments (optional)
Every one of these is a toggle in Settings. Want Explore back? Flip it.
Privacy
Everything stays on your phone.
There's no FeedOff account and no FeedOff server. You log in to Instagram and YouTube directly, on their own sites, inside Apple's standard web view. Your password goes to them, the same way it would in Safari. FeedOff can't read it and doesn't store it.
The only thing FeedOff downloads is a small text file of filter rules, which buttons and feeds to hide. It's public on GitHub, and you can read every line of it.
When you set up the Shield, Apple hands FeedOff an anonymous token for each app you pick, never the app's name or your usage. That's how Screen Time is built.
// rules.json — the one file FeedOff downloads { "instagram": { "redirects": [{ "match": "^/reels", "to": "/" }], "toggles": { "reels": { "css": ["a[href='/reels/']"] }, "explore": { "css": ["a[href='/explore/']"] }, "suggested": { "hideIfText": ["Suggested for you"] } } } }
FAQ
Questions people ask.
Why is it free?
Because the core of it is a small app and a text file of rules, and running it costs almost nothing. There's no subscription and no in-app purchase. If that ever changes, the parts you use today stay free.
Does it block the whole app?
Only when you want it to. The Shield blocks the real Instagram and YouTube apps on a schedule you set, or all the time, or never. The Lite versions in FeedOff always stay open.
Do my DMs still work?
Yes. DMs, stories, profiles, search and posting all work in the Lite browser. It's the real Instagram site with the feed parts hidden.
Do I still get notifications?
Yes, if you keep the real app installed. Shielded apps still deliver notifications; they just open to a block screen. Tap the FeedOff widget to answer.
Is this against Instagram's rules?
FeedOff shows Instagram's public website in a standard web view and hides parts of the page on your phone, the way a content blocker does. It uses no private access, stores no credentials and collects no data. Apps have shipped this way on the App Store for years.
Why do I have to log in again?
The Lite browser has its own login, separate from the Instagram app. You log in once; FeedOff keeps you signed in after that. Instagram may ask for a one-time code the first time, as it does for any new browser.
Is there an Android version?
Not yet. Android already has good free Reels blockers built on the Accessibility service. If enough people ask, we'll build one that reads the same rules file.
What happens when Instagram changes its layout?
The rules file updates without an app update, usually within a day. A nightly check watches for broken rules, and because the rules are public anyone can send a fix.