# CherryBrew > CherryBrew is an Android app that blocks Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and keeps your DMs, Stories and search. It opens the real Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit and TikTok inside its own in-app browser, with Reels, Shorts, Explore, For You and other endless feeds filtered out, so you keep using social apps without the doomscroll. Made by NeoMarcoPolo (LuciCo LLC). ## What CherryBrew does Instagram has no setting that turns Reels off, and YouTube has no setting that removes Shorts. The common workaround is to use the mobile website instead of the app, but in a normal phone browser Reels and Shorts are still there and the sites keep pushing you back to the app. CherryBrew is that workaround made usable: the real sites, signed in to your own accounts, with the short-video and algorithmic feeds already removed, your messages working, and all the apps in one place. It is not a timer that locks whole apps. Feed removal is on by default and needs no willpower or setup. Time goals and friction are optional extras. ## Supported apps: what it blocks and what you keep - **Instagram**: blocks the Reels tab, Reels in the feed, Explore, and suggested and sponsored posts; keeps DMs and group chats, Stories, search, profiles, comments and posting - **YouTube**: blocks Shorts, the recommended shelves and the chip row; keeps search, subscriptions and the videos you pick - **Facebook**: blocks Reels, Watch and suggested posts; keeps your News Feed from friends and pages, groups and events - **X**: blocks the For You timeline (it opens on Following); keeps Following, search, profiles and posting - **Reddit**: blocks r/popular, r/all and promoted posts; keeps the communities you joined, search and comments - **TikTok**: blocks the For You feed, Discover and suggested accounts (it opens on Following); keeps Following, profiles, search and messages ## Who it is for - People who want Instagram for DMs, Stories and friends, without Reels - People who want YouTube for search and subscriptions, without Shorts - People who tried deleting social apps and came back because they needed messages, groups or work accounts - People trying to stop doomscrolling without quitting social media - Families: one Lifetime purchase covers up to 5 family members ## Optional features - Choose which apps and surfaces CherryBrew filters - Daily social time goal and quiet hours - A pause before the next scroll, a 24-hour commitment lock and a PIN lock - Saved-time history, without streak pressure - Light, dark or system theme; 12 languages - Native App Shield (App Guard): optional reminder when you open a supported social app outside CherryBrew. It uses Android's AccessibilityService only to detect which app is open; it does not read messages, feeds, typed text, passwords or screen content, and it is off unless you turn it on. ## Pricing CherryBrew is a paid app: $2.99 per month, or $20 for lifetime access (one-time purchase). Lifetime includes Family Sharing so you can share access with up to 5 family members. Each person gets their own CherryBrew setup, and no one sees anyone else's usage. Google Play shows the current local price at checkout. ## Platforms Available on Google Play for Android; iOS coming soon. CherryBrew runs on Android phones (Android 7 and later). ## Common questions ### Can I still use Instagram DMs? Yes. CherryBrew removes Reels, Explore and suggested posts, but your Instagram DMs and group chats work as usual, along with Stories, search, comments and posting. The other apps work the same way: only the endless feeds are filtered out. ### Is there an app that blocks Reels? Yes. CherryBrew is an Android app that blocks Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts and keeps the rest of each app working. It opens the real Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit and TikTok inside its own browser, with Reels, Shorts, Explore and For You feeds filtered out. It costs $2.99 a month or $20 for lifetime access. ### Can I turn off Reels in Instagram? No. Instagram has no setting that turns Reels off. Marking Reels "Not interested" or setting a time reminder only changes what you see or nudges you to stop. What you can do is open Instagram through CherryBrew, which removes the Reels tab, Reels in your feed and Explore while your account, DMs and Stories stay the same. ### How is this different from Instagram in a browser? Instagram's mobile website is the usual workaround, but in a normal phone browser Reels are still there and the site keeps pushing you back to the app. CherryBrew opens the same real sites, signed in, with Reels and Shorts already filtered out and your DMs working, and keeps all 6 apps in one place with an optional daily time goal. ### Does CherryBrew replace Instagram or YouTube? No. CherryBrew opens the real social sites inside its own in-app browser, so you keep using the accounts you already have. It filters the distracting layers where possible. ### Which apps does CherryBrew work with? Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, and TikTok. ### How much does CherryBrew cost? CherryBrew is a paid app: $2.99 per month, or $20 for lifetime access. Google Play shows the current price at checkout. ### Can I share CherryBrew with my family? Yes, with Lifetime. Lifetime includes Family Sharing so you can share access with up to 5 family members. Each person gets their own CherryBrew setup, and no one sees anyone else's usage. ### Does CherryBrew read my messages or my screen? No. The optional Native App Shield uses Android's AccessibilityService only to detect when a supported social app is open and show the reminder you configured. CherryBrew does not use it to read messages, feeds, typed text, passwords, screen content, or raw touch input, and it is off unless you turn it on. ### Is there an iPhone version? Not yet. CherryBrew is available on Google Play for Android. An iOS version has not launched. ## Guides - [Apps That Remove Algorithmic Feeds From Social Media](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/apps-that-remove-algorithmic-feeds/): You don't have to quit social media to escape the For You feed. What each app's built-in options do, and which Android apps remove algorithmic feeds from Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit and TikTok. - [The Best Instagram Reels Blockers for Android, Honestly Compared](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/best-reels-blockers-android/): ScrollGuard, AppBlock, Unhook, Fluid Friction, one sec, Reels Blocker and CherryBrew: how each Reels blocker for Android works, what it keeps, what it costs, and who it suits. Written by the CherryBrew team, with our own trade-offs included. - [Block Instagram Reels but Keep Your DMs](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/block-reels-keep-instagram-dms/): You want your messages, not the Reels feed. Here is exactly what stays and what goes when you block Instagram Reels with CherryBrew on Android. - [CherryBrew vs ScrollGuard, AppBlock and Unhook](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/cherrybrew-vs-scrollguard-appblock-unhook/): Four Android apps that block Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, four different approaches. How CherryBrew compares with ScrollGuard, AppBlock and Unhook on what they block, what they keep, permissions and price. - [How to Block Instagram Reels on Android (and Keep Your DMs)](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/how-to-block-instagram-reels-on-android/): Instagram has no off switch for Reels. Here are the three ways to block Instagram Reels on Android, what each one costs you, and how to keep your DMs and Stories working. - [How to Use Instagram Without Reels on Android](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/instagram-without-reels-android/): The usual advice is to use Instagram's mobile website instead of the app. It half works. Here is why, and how to get Instagram without Reels on Android while keeping DMs and Stories. - [How to Remove YouTube Shorts on Android](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/remove-youtube-shorts-android/): YouTube has no setting that turns Shorts off. Here is what actually works on Android to get rid of YouTube Shorts and keep search, subscriptions and the videos you chose. - [How to Stop Doomscrolling Without Deleting Instagram](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/stop-doomscrolling-without-deleting-instagram/): You don't have a phone problem — you have a feed problem. Here's how to stop doomscrolling while keeping your DMs, your friends, and the app itself. - [How to Turn Off Instagram Reels and Keep Everything Else](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/turn-off-instagram-reels/): Instagram won't let you permanently turn off Reels. Here's what the app actually allows — and how CherryBrew removes the Reels tab and Explore for good while DMs and your feed stay. - [Why Deleting the App Never Works (and What to Do Instead)](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/why-deleting-the-app-never-works/): Cold turkey fails for the same reason crash diets do. There's a third option between 'all in' and 'delete forever' — and it doesn't fight you. - [What Doomscrolling Does to Your Brain — and Why You Can't Just Stop](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/blog/what-doomscrolling-does-to-your-brain/): Infinite feeds are built on variable rewards and missing stopping cues. Understand the mechanism and the fix becomes obvious: remove it, don't out-willpower it. - [Features and use cases](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/use-cases/) ## Links - [Homepage](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/) - [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.marcopolo.cherrybrew) - [Product facts](https://neomarcopolo.co/products/cherrybrew.md) - [Privacy policy](https://neomarcopolo.co/cherrybrew/privacy-policy/) - [Company: NeoMarcoPolo](https://neomarcopolo.co/)