How to Block Instagram on iPhone and Android

Updated 12 Nov 2026

Want Instagram off your phone without deleting your account? Here is the free way on iPhone and Android, and how to make the block hard to undo. The steps follow Apple and Google help pages.

Block Instagram on iPhone (iOS 26 and earlier)

Screen Time is free and already on your iPhone. You set a time limit on Instagram, then make the limit stick.

1. Open Settings and tap Screen Time.
2. Tap App Limits, then Add Limit.
3. Tap the social apps category to see the apps in it, then pick Instagram.
4. Tap Next and set a short time.

Apple says that by default you can ignore a limit once you reach it. To make it stick, do two more things:

1. Set a Screen Time passcode: Settings > Screen Time, scroll down, tap Lock Screen Time Settings.
2. Turn on Block at Downtime: Settings > Screen Time > Downtime. Apple says restricted apps then can't be opened during downtime.

Block the website too. Instagram also works in Safari. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it on. Tap App Store, Media, Web, & Games, then Web Content. Choose Limit Adult Websites, tap Add Website under Never Allow, and type instagram.com.

Block Instagram on iPhone (iOS 27)

iOS 27 changed the menus. App Limits are now called Time Allowances, and they work by category, like Social Media.

1. Open Settings, tap Screen Time, then Time Allowances.
2. Tap Manage Categories, tap the add button, and pick the category with Instagram in it.
3. Under Time Allowances, tap that category and drag the slider to a short time.

Apple says the allowance also covers an app's website when the app lists one. Apple's page does not show a way to pick only Instagram, so the limit covers the whole category.

Lock it with a passcode: Settings > Screen Time > Passcode & Management > Lock Screen Time Settings.

Block Instagram on Android

Android has Digital Wellbeing built in. It gives you two free ways to stop Instagram.

App timer (a daily limit):

1. Open Settings and tap Digital Wellbeing, then App timers.
2. Next to Instagram, tap Set timer.
3. Pick a time and tap OK.

Google says when the time runs out, the app closes and its icon dims. The timer resets at midnight.

Focus mode (pause it for a while):

1. Open Settings, tap Digital Wellbeing, then Focus mode.
2. Pick Instagram.
3. Tap Turn on now, or tap Set a schedule to have it turn on by itself.

Google says some steps may be different on your phone.

Google's page talks about apps. It does not say these tools block instagram.com in a browser.

Why the free way is easy to undo

• iPhone: without a passcode, you can ignore the limit. If you know the passcode, you can change it.
• Android: Google says to use the app again, you just delete its timer. In Focus mode, Take a break lets you back in.

So the free tools work best when someone else holds the passcode. If you set it up alone, it is easy to undo in a weak moment.

Block Instagram with Mamori (free)

Mamori blocks the Instagram app and its website. Blocking is free.

1. Open Mamori and tap Block.
2. Under Add to your list, tap Social media. Instagram is in it and already ticked.
3. Untick any app you want to keep, like Facebook or X.
4. Tap Lock and pick your lock.
5. Go to Home and tap Turn on.

The lock is the point. If you want Instagram back, you have to get past your lock first: a wait, a phrase you type, or a PIN a friend keeps. That way you can't turn it off in a hurry. Free waits are 15 seconds. Premium gives you longer locks, from 5 minutes to a week.

On iPhone, the first time, iPhone asks you to switch Mamori on in Settings. You only do this once. To hide the app icon too, tap Hide the apps under Social media.

When protection is off, nothing is blocked, and you can delete Mamori like any app.

FAQ

Can I block only Reels?

Not with these tools. Screen Time, Digital Wellbeing and Mamori all block the whole Instagram app, not one part of it.

Does blocking Instagram delete my account?

No. Blocking only stops Instagram on your phone. Your account, photos and messages stay as they are.

Can I block other apps the same way?

Yes. The same steps work for TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X and Reddit. In Mamori, they are all in Social media.

Will it block Instagram on my iPad or computer?

Apple says that with Share Across Devices on, your Screen Time limits apply to your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Mamori blocks it on the phone or tablet it is on.

Related guides

Sources

• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Set schedules with Screen Time on iPhone (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-schedules-with-screen-time-iphb0c7313c9/26/ios/26
• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Set Screen Time Schedules and Time Allowances (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-schedules-and-time-allowances-iphb0c7313c9/27/ios/27
• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Block apps, app downloads, websites, and purchases on iPhone (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/block-features-or-content-with-screen-time-iph3ff83f3b1/26/ios/26
• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Create, manage, and keep track of a Screen Time passcode (iOS 26): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-manage-track-a-screen-time-passcode-iph272b4c4bd/26/ios/26
• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Create, change, or remove a Screen Time passcode (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/create-change-remove-a-screen-time-passcode-iph272b4c4bd/27/ios/27
• Apple Support, iPhone User Guide, Set up Screen Time for yourself on iPhone (iOS 27): https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-screen-time-for-yourself-iphbfa595995/27/ios/27
• Google, Android Help, Manage how you spend time on your Android phone with Digital Wellbeing: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9346420

Last checked 12 Nov 2026.