Instagram without Reels.

Your friends, your DMs and the posts of people you follow. No Reels tab, no Explore, no suggested posts in between.

Join the waitlist An iPhone app. Coming soon.

Can you turn off Reels on Instagram? Not in Instagram itself. There is no setting that removes Reels or the Reels tab. You can snooze suggested posts for 30 days or open the Following feed, but Reels stay one tap away. Off the Hook opens Instagram's own website inside an iPhone app, with your own login, and leaves out Reels, Explore and the suggestions. The real Instagram app stays locked, so the shortcut back to Reels is gone too.

The good parts stay. The rabbit hole goes.

Still there

Your feedOnly people you follow, newest first.
StoriesThe friends you haven't seen yet, at the top.
DMsEvery chat, as it is in Instagram.
SearchFind a friend or a place. No grid of videos under the search bar.
Reels from friendsIf someone you follow posts one, you see it like any other post.

Gone

The Reels tabThe button isn't there, and a Reel from a DM opens on its own. You can't swipe to the next one.
ExploreThe endless grid of strangers' posts.
Suggested for youPosts from accounts you don't follow, slipped in between your friends'.
Suggested ReelsThe carousels that pull you from your feed into the Reels player.
Suggested accounts"People you may know", over and over.

The feed has an end

You're all caught up.

Once you've seen the last few days of posts from people you follow, the feed stops. Nothing loads underneath. That's the whole trick: Instagram was built so the bottom never comes.

Want the real app? Take a break.

The real Instagram app stays locked with Apple's Screen Time. A break opens it for 5 to 30 minutes, to post with the camera and music, or simply to scroll. Then it locks again by itself.

EasyA few longer breaks. Changes apply right away.

MediumFewer breaks. Anything that loosens your plan starts tomorrow.

HardOne short break per block. Your 1 am self can't renegotiate.

What Instagram's own settings can and can't do.

They're worth knowing. None of them takes Reels away, and Meta is moving Reels closer, not further: to the second tab, next to your feed.

Setting: What it does; What it doesn't
Following feed: Shows only accounts you follow from the last 30 days, newest first.; It doesn't stick. Open the app again and you're back on the ranked feed.
Snooze suggested posts: Pauses suggested posts in your feed for 30 days.; It runs out, and Reels and Explore keep suggesting.
Not interested and Your Algorithm: Steer which topics you're shown.; They change which suggestions you get, not whether you get them.
Daily limit: A reminder once you've used Instagram for the time you chose, from 30 minutes.; It's a reminder, not a lock. Dismiss it and keep going.
Sleep mode: Pauses notifications and auto-replies to DMs at night.; You can still open the app and scroll.

Step by step: how to turn off suggested posts on Instagram.

Questions

Can you turn off Reels on Instagram?

No. Instagram has no setting that removes Reels or the Reels tab. You can snooze suggested posts for 30 days, switch to the Following feed or set a daily reminder, but Reels stay in the app.

Is it the real Instagram?

Yes. Off the Hook opens Instagram's own website inside the app, with your own login. You log in directly with Instagram, your password never reaches us, and your feed and messages stay on your phone.

Do I still see Reels my friends post?

Yes. A Reel from someone you follow shows in your feed like any other post. What's removed is the Reels tab, Explore and the suggested Reels and posts from accounts you don't follow.

Can I still post?

Yes. Take a break and the real Instagram app opens for 5 to 30 minutes, with the camera, music and close friends. Then it locks again by itself.

What about Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat?

Facebook works the same way: your friends, groups, Marketplace and Messenger stay, Reels and the video feed go. TikTok and Snapchat follow, with friends and messages kept and For You and Spotlight left out.

How is it different from other apps that hide Reels?

Several iPhone apps show a calmer Instagram. On its own, that leaves the real app one tap away, which is where most relapses happen. Off the Hook also keeps the real Instagram locked with Apple's Screen Time, makes opening it cost one of a few breaks, and plans your week with Lumi. You can see how it compares in Opal alternatives.

Does it work on Android?

Not yet. Off the Hook is an iPhone app, because it uses Apple's Screen Time to keep the real Instagram locked.

Keep reading

Less reel. More real.

Off the Hook is coming to iPhone. Get one text the day it's out.

One text when we launch. Nothing else.