PyrbitShorts & Reels blocker for Android
Stop the scroll before it starts.
Unscroll blocks YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and similar short-video feeds in the apps you choose, so “just five minutes” stops turning into an hour.
For Android phones · Free to download · Premium features available
What happens when a feed opens
Unscroll works quietly in the background
You open Shorts or Reels
In YouTube, Instagram or another app you’ve chosen to protect.
Unscroll recognises the feed
Android’s Accessibility Service lets it see that a short-video screen has opened.
Unscroll steps you back out
It navigates away from the feed before the endless swiping begins.
What it blocks
The short-video feeds built to keep you swiping.
One swipe becomes fifty. Unscroll targets the endless short-video feeds inside the social apps where they live.
YouTube
Shorts
Reels
Reels
TikTok
Short-video feed
Snapchat
Short-video feed
X (Twitter)
Short-video feed
Instagram Lite and Facebook Lite are covered too. You decide which apps Unscroll protects, and supported apps can change as those apps are updated.
How it works
Set up in a minute. Then forget it’s there.
Three steps, and Unscroll keeps blocking in the background.
Install Unscroll
Download it free from Google Play and open the app.
Turn on Accessibility
Enable Unscroll’s Accessibility Service when the app asks. This is how it recognises short-video screens.
Choose your apps
Pick the apps to protect, and optionally set a daily limit, a schedule or a PIN. Then tap to start blocking.
Wondering what the Accessibility permission is used for? See privacy.
Features
Strict when you need it. Flexible when you don’t.
Block short videos completely, or allow yourself a set amount each day. Either way, you decide the rules — not the feed.
Your rules
Limits you set once and stick to.
Need a quick break? Pause blocking for a few minutes without switching it off. Prefer a budget to a ban? Set how long you can scroll each day. Want it only during work or study? Give it a schedule.
- Daily scroll limit with presets or a custom time
- Pause blocking for 2, 5 or 10 minutes
- Block only during the hours you choose
- A 4-digit PIN so blocking can’t be turned off on a whim — useful for parents too
- Daily scroll limit
- 30 min45 min1 hourCustom
- Pause blocking
- 2 min5 min10 min
- Blocking schedule
- Active only during the hours you set — work, study or dinner.
- PIN protection
- A 4-digit PIN is required to turn blocking off.
Per-app controls
Choose exactly which apps Unscroll protects and leave the rest alone.
Activity by app
See how many times each app was blocked, so you know which one pulls you back most.
Full-app blocking
When a feed isn’t enough, optionally block an entire app installed on your phone.
Themes
Make it yours with themes such as Ocean, Forest, Sunset, Purple, Rose, Mint and Dark.
Privacy
A powerful permission, used for one job.
To block a feed inside another app, Unscroll has to know when that feed is on screen. Android’s Accessibility Service makes that possible, and Unscroll uses it only for blocking. Everything else it needs lives on your phone.
Accessibility, for blocking only
It reads the layout and labels of supported apps to spot a short-video screen, then navigates away.
Nothing recorded
No screen recording, no screenshots. What the service sees is processed in real time and not sent to our servers.
Your data stays local
Limits, pause timers, block counts and themes are stored on your phone. Your PIN is kept as a hash.
No account, no cloud sync
There’s nothing to sign up for. Unscroll doesn’t ask for your name, email or phone number.
No camera, mic or location
Unscroll doesn’t request access to your contacts, camera, microphone or precise location.
Off whenever you want
Disable the service at any time in Android Settings › Accessibility, or clear the app’s data to reset it.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What does Unscroll block?
Short-video feeds such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, plus similar feeds in Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and X, and in Instagram Lite and Facebook Lite. You choose which apps it protects, and you can optionally block an entire app.
Why does Unscroll need the Accessibility permission?
To block a feed inside another app, Unscroll needs to know when that feed has opened. The Accessibility Service lets it read the layout and labels of supported apps, recognise a short-video screen and navigate away from it. It doesn’t record your screen or take screenshots, and what it sees isn’t sent to our servers. You can turn it off at any time in Android Settings › Accessibility, though blocking won’t work without it.
Do I need to create an account?
No. Unscroll has no sign-up or sign-in, and your settings and statistics are stored on your phone.
Can I take a short break without turning blocking off?
Yes. Pause blocking for 2, 5 or 10 minutes and it switches back on by itself afterwards.
Can I allow some scrolling instead of blocking it all?
Yes. Set a daily scroll limit — 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour or a custom time — or use a schedule so blocking is only active during the hours you choose.
Can I stop blocking from being switched off too easily?
Yes. Set a 4-digit PIN and it will be required to turn blocking off. It’s useful for your own willpower, and for parents setting up a child’s phone.
Blocking stopped working. What should I check?
Make sure Unscroll’s Accessibility Service is still turned on in Android Settings › Accessibility. Some phones switch services off after an update or to save battery; Unscroll’s permission reminders will also let you know when something needs to be re-enabled.
Is Unscroll free?
Yes, Unscroll is free to download from Google Play. It shows ads, and premium features are available as optional in-app purchases.
Which devices does it work on?
Android phones. Unscroll is optimised for Android 11 and later so it keeps running reliably in the background. It isn’t available for iPhone.
How do I get help?
Email us at [email protected].
Take back your attention.
Install Unscroll free and spend less time in the feed, and more on what actually matters.