kasparnoorApr 1

Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

I kept deleting and redownloading Instagram because I couldn't stop watching Reels but needed the app for DMs. Tried screen time limits, just overrode them. So I built this.

Dull loads Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X and filters out short-form content with a mix of CSS and JS injection. MutationObserver handles anything that lazy-loads after the page renders, which is most of the annoying stuff since these platforms love to load content dynamically.

The ongoing work is maintaining the filters. Platforms change their DOM all the time, Instagram obfuscates class names, YouTube restructures how Shorts appear in the feed, etc. It's a cat-and-mouse thing that never really ends.

Also has grayscale mode, time limits, and usage tracking.

Happy to answer questions.

https://getdull.app

Dull — social media. less of it.

Reels gone. Shorts gone. Algorithmic feeds gone. Time limits, grayscale, friction gates, usage tracking. And that's just the start.

Show threadbryanhogan

Sounds like a good project, I also hate that Instagram pushes algorithm-driven content into your face everywhere without any options to turn it off, it's good to fight against these toxic dark design patterns.

Can also recommend using Instagram with the IGPlus web extension. Or for a native Android version there's also DFinstagram.

For YouTube there are many web extensions as well. On Android the YouTube ReVanced patch is really good though.

IGPlus: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/android/addon/igplus-extens...

DFinstagram: https://www.distractionfreeapps.com

Instagram Hide Reels, Explore Page - IGPlus – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox Android (en-US)

Download Instagram Hide Reels, Explore Page - IGPlus for Firefox. 2025 • Open-source • Disable Instagram Reels, videos, comments, suggestions wall, vanity metrics, homepage recommendations, trending... and many more.

Apr 1 at 10:33pmWeb