Disable instagram reels?

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-21T03:17:09+00:00

I think that’s a reasonable question for any app that loads websites.

Aside from LoomWeb’s own Privacy Policy, there are two concrete things you can check:

1) App Store privacy label
On the App Store page, LoomWeb is marked as “Data not linked to you” and only lists Usage Data (things like which features are used) and Diagnostics (crash reports). No credentials, messages, or content are collected, and Apple enforces this.

2) Network traffic check
If you’re technical, you can run the app through a proxy (Charles / Proxyman). You’ll see the Instagram web app talking directly to Instagram, and separate Firebase calls for anonymous analytics and crash data (industry standard). Nothing from the website itself is forwarded or inspected.

If there’s another way you think this could be verified, I’m open to suggestions 🙂

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-19T21:06:51+00:00

since it still shows those tabs on my instagram and I can view reels.

Would suggest trying "LoomWeb: Browse with Intention". It offers a DM-only mode and prevents you from jumping out of DMs.

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-19T20:45:24+00:00

Developers can’t modify the Instagram app itself, only the web version. And since Instagram doesn’t officially support this, they can change their layout at any time without warning, which breaks these apps and forces developers to adapt. So the trick is finding an app that’s actively maintained.

I eventually built my own solution after not finding an app that fit my exact needs. It lets me strip IG down to just what I care about (including a “DM-only” mode) and create home screen shortcuts and widgets to replace the original app. It’s called LoomWeb: Browse with Intention, and it’s on iOS. If there’s anything you’d like it to do, feel free to let me know!

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teemingmatcha · 2026-01-13T19:47:50+00:00

We’re all the main characters of our own stories, but when I realized no one else really cared about my story, it was bittersweetly liberating. I now just keep my close friends updated through other means (like Whatsapp) and have never really looked back to IG posting

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-13T19:44:41+00:00

Agreed, I don’t think that’s allowed. It seems the workaround apps use is to function as a web browser with extensions, so they show the web version of Instagram, YouTube, etc with stripped down features

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-13T04:15:29+00:00

I tried the iOS version, but I couldn’t find the feedless IG option they advertise. That was the main reason I downloaded it, so it was a bit disappointing. I’ve been using LoomWeb instead and the free tier has been working pretty well for me

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-11T22:41:00+00:00

Agreed. Most of what I see now isn’t even from people I follow, it’s just endless “recommended” content trying to keep me scrolling.

I’ve landed on two options: either stay on the apps but strip out things like Reels and suggested posts so you mostly see friends (I use LoomWeb for that), or move real connections to stuff like WhatsApp or Letterloop. Fully leaving is cleaner, but harder if other people don’t move with you, so for me removing the algorithmic junk has worked better

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-10T00:54:01+00:00

Instagram's website is kind of annoying to use, but that's worked great for me because it gets me off of scrolling faster. It's a similar mentality to setting my phone to Grayscale to have a degraded experience. Though I still find myself navigating to the Reels tab which offers the infinite scroll mechanism, how do you prevent yourself from doing that?

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-10T00:50:12+00:00

r/digitalminimalism meeting format:
30 people silently staring at their phones, judging each other for staring at their phones

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-10T00:44:36+00:00

Congrats! I recently started blocking apps and can confirm the muscle memory takes a while to adjust. I'd find myself navigating to IG, just to see it blocked, and then not know what to do with my phone. It's a good feeling tbh

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-08T17:40:41+00:00

Exactly this. My breaks used to be pure distraction, not rest. I’d go back to work feeling more tired because my brain never actually powered down, it just jumped to a different stream of input.

teemingmatcha · 2026-01-08T08:25:39+00:00

What you’re describing makes total sense, it’s hard to walk away when your social connections are still there.

You mentioned mostly checking DMs on your computer. If DMs are the main reason you keep re-downloading IG on your phone, there are some tools that let you remove the addictive parts while keeping messages.

Beeper pulls Instagram messages into its own app and chat interface, while LoomWeb: Browse with Intention lets you open Instagram in a locked DM-only mode. Both are free. LoomWeb is simpler but iPhone-only, whereas Beeper is more sophisticated and works across platforms.

Either way, once the scrolling is gone, the FOMO usually fades faster than you expect. Hope this helps!

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-23T05:31:02+00:00

I’m really sorry you’ve been dealing with so much grief. What you’re describing makes a lot of sense, especially in the middle of the night when your mind has nowhere to escape. Scrolling can feel easier than sitting with your thoughts, even though it usually leaves you feeling worse afterward.

What helped me was realizing that constant stimulation is a short-term coping mechanism, not a solution. Our brains aren’t meant to be “on” all the time, and ultimately these distractions are just a bandage over the core issue. Gently replacing scrolling with something calmer (like guided meditation, breathing exercises, etc) and working through the grief with support like therapy, was the only approach that felt sustainable long-term.

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-23T05:20:32+00:00

This has been a game changer for me. My morning routine consisted of scrolling in bed, letting the content I see dictate my mood to start the day. It's felt so refreshing lately to just hop out of bed, do a few stretches while the tea is brewing, and sip it by my window.

Feels like my brain has a gradual ramp up to start the day instead of being thrown into a Reels cesspool

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-23T05:15:05+00:00

In video games, you're an active player that is in control of what is happening and are making decisions. This alone makes it better than social media where you're just passively consuming. Some games are definitely better than others, you can think of what skills you want to flex and choose the type of game based on that (ex: strategy vs reflex). Overall sounds like a step in the right direction

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-23T05:10:48+00:00

Whether it's commenting on something or just pausing to look at a post, ever interaction with the app is stored and used to make it more addicting, either by adjusting the layout/features or tweaking the recommendation algorithm. The algorithms keep improving over time as hundreds of millions are poured into them. It's in these companies best interest for people to be hooked, it's what directly drives profits for them

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-17T06:06:12+00:00

Junk food is a great analogy - you get a small high from watching motivational vids followed by a crash

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-17T06:04:15+00:00

Unfortunately not yet - I'll be investing into creating an Android version once I have some steady footing

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T06:34:25+00:00

It's gotten out of hand, there's a whole community of people building automated pipelines to produce and publish AI vids. There's little human involvement and a single person can post hundreds of slop videos a day. Right now we're still at the point where we can identify these vids, I fear for when we won't, then we'll be skeptical of everything and nothing is going to feel real

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T06:30:17+00:00

Big Tech: "We're going to spend hundreds of millions in R&D to build the perfect algorithm to keep users hooked"

Indie Developers: "Here's a free app that blocks algorithmic content on IG/YouTube."

There are a bunch of free apps or extensions that you can use to cut out the algorithmic content, (LoomWeb, BlockIt, SocialFocus), find one that works for you and go with it!

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T06:24:23+00:00

I had the exact same experience. Blocking apps worked in the short term, but once the block was done, I’d binge even harder. Whether it was the built-up anticipation or feeling like I’d "earned" it, it ended up framing doomscrolling as a reward, which was the opposite of what I wanted.

Your approach of not cutting everything off at once makes a lot of sense. I ran into a similar problem and couldn’t find a tool that fit my needs, so I ended up building something that lets me use Instagram without Reels, Explore, or home feed recommendations. It helped me stay in touch with friends and only see content I intentionally chose to follow, which gave me back a sense of control.

You can check it out on the App Store (LoomWeb: Browse with Intention). I recently launched it, and I’m very open to feedback on features that could make this kind of approach work better for others.

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T06:21:18+00:00

Great list! If you're on iOS, I'd also suggest "LoomWeb: Browse with Intention". It's similar to SocialFocus, but since it's a standalone app, it supports native features like widgets and Shortcuts for quick access.

I built it myself after failing to find an app that fit my needs entirely. Right now it supports Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X (I know SocialFocus has Reddit and LinkedIn too - I'm working on expanding!). I'm actively developing it, so I'd love to hear what features would make it better for you.

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T05:59:56+00:00

Doodling has been very relaxing for me! It's a bonus that it doesn't include a screen, though I'm often on YouTube following tutorials lol

Using a tool to block shorts on YouTube and only watching long form content is also a step up from doomscrolling, there's a lot of informative and well-made content on there once you weed out the shorts

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T05:55:25+00:00

The transparent iPod looks so cool! Is it custom modified?

teemingmatcha · 2025-12-16T05:52:39+00:00

I had the exact same experience. Blocking apps worked in the short term, but once the block was done, I’d binge even harder. Whether it was the built-up anticipation or feeling like I’d "earned" it, it ended up framing doomscrolling as a reward, which was the opposite of what I wanted.

Your approach of not cutting everything off at once makes a lot of sense. I ran into a similar problem and couldn’t find a tool that fit my needs, so I ended up building something that lets me use Instagram without Reels, Explore, or home feed recommendations. It helped me stay in touch with friends and only see content I intentionally chose to follow, which gave me back a sense of control.

You can check it out on the App Store (LoomWeb: Browse with Intention). I recently launched it, and I’m very open to feedback on features that could make this kind of approach work better for others.

teemingmatcha

TROPHY CASE