How to block Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, WhatsApp Statuses or Snapchat Stories on Android

If short-form content like Reels, Shorts, or Stories is what’s pulling you off track, AppBlock can help — without you having to block the whole app.

From version 7.5.0, AppBlock supports content blocking for:

• Instagram — Reels and Stories.
• YouTube — Shorts.
• Snapchat — Stories and Spotlight.
• WhatsApp — Channels and Statuses.

That means you can keep using these apps normally — for messaging, posting, or watching regular content — while only the addictive short-form features are blocked.

Step 1: Create or open a schedule or Quick Block

Option A: Quick Block (for one-off blocking right now)

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to Blocking → Quick Block.

Option B: Schedules (for recurring or rule-based blocking)

1. Open AppBlock.
2. Go to the Blocking tab.
3. Tap + Add in Schedules, or choose one of our templates.
4. Choose your blocking condition (Time, Location, Wi-Fi, Usage limit, or Launch count).

Step 2: Select the app

1. Go to Apps.
2. Find Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp or Snapchat in the list.

Step 3: Choose what to block inside the app

You can pick which content types to block within each app:

• Instagram — Reels, Stories, or both.
• YouTube — Shorts.
• Snapchat — Stories, Spotlight, or both.
• WhatsApp — Channels, Statuses or both.

Leave the main app itself unblocked if you still want to use messaging or regular content.

Step 4: Save and activate

For Quick Block, tap Start. For Schedules, tap Create → Let’s focus.

Good to know

• Content blocking inside apps requires the Accessibility permission. If it’s not working, head to Profile → Help → Troubleshooting to make sure Accessibility is enabled for AppBlock.
• You can combine content blocking with Usage limit — for example, allow 15 minutes of Instagram per day, but Reels blocked the whole time.
• If you’d rather block the entire app at certain times, just select it normally in your blocklist.

Make it stick

For serious commitments, pair this with Strict Mode. See “How to use Strict Mode” for setup details.