ShortBlocker

Block Reels, Shorts and TikTok. Keep your friends’ videos.

  • Regular videos still play
  • Videos friends send you still play
  • No ads, ever. No account.
  • Free blocks one app at a time

ShortBlocker is a free Android app that blocks YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok, and still lets you watch the videos your friends send you. It also blocks Facebook Reels, Snapchat Spotlight and X videos, and leaves the rest of each app alone.

Get it on Google Play

Free with no ads; Premium is optional. Android 8 or later. Works with YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and X. Try the interactive demo.

ShortBlocker home screen on an Android phone: “84 blocked this week” above switches for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and X, all on, with a pause button at the bottom
One switch per app. Free blocks one; Premium blocks all six.
A YouTube Short fading out as ShortBlocker leaves it, with a “Short videos blocked by ShortBlocker” notice at the bottom of the screen
A Short opens, and ShortBlocker backs out of it. Long videos keep playing.

Why ShortBlocker

What it blocks, and what it leaves alone

What ShortBlocker blocks in each supported app, and what keeps working
App Blocked Keeps working
YouTube Shorts Home, search, subscriptions, channels, comments and long videos
TikTok (including TikTok Lite) Videos, covered over with a Leave video button Your inbox and profile, and videos friends send you
Instagram Reels Messages, feed, Stories, search, profiles, and Reels friends send you
Facebook (main app) Reels The rest of the app, and a Reel sent to you in Messenger
Snapchat Spotlight The rest of the app, and videos friends send you
X Scrolling on to the next video. The video you tap plays Timeline, profiles, search and chats

Websites in a web browser and Facebook Lite aren’t blocked. If a short video is ever missed, or something is blocked by mistake, you can report it from the app. See how to report a miss or a mistake.

How it works

  1. Install

    Get ShortBlocker from Google Play.

  2. Switch on an app

    Open ShortBlocker and switch on the app you want to block. It shows a short notice with an Open settings button.

  3. Allow access

    Tap Open settings, find ShortBlocker in Android’s Accessibility list, switch it on and tap Allow. Short videos are blocked from then on.

The menu names differ a little between phones. Step by step for Google Pixel, Samsung, Xiaomi and other phones.

Guides

More screens

An Instagram Reel of a cat sliding away as ShortBlocker leaves it, with a “Short videos blocked by ShortBlocker” notice
Reels: backed out of as soon as one opens.
The TikTok feed blurred behind a ShortBlocker cover with Leave video and Comments buttons, and TikTok’s bottom bar still visible
TikTok: the video is blurred over. Your inbox and profile are still there, and Leave video takes you out.
ShortBlocker settings for Instagram: Block right away is selected beside Tap to watch, with “Reels tab always blocked” below. Under Allow, “Videos friends send me” and “Videos I searched for” are on. Under More: Schedule (Weekdays), Daily allowance (9 of 15 minutes used) and Allowed creators (2)
Settings for each app. Videos friends send me is free; Tap to watch, schedules, allowances and the rest are Premium.
ShortBlocker “Blocked by mistake” screen: the reason, a screenshot of your screen beside the plain outline that would be sent, and an optional note
Blocked by mistake? Report it in two taps. You see exactly what’s sent: the screen’s outline and basic device details, with no text or pictures.

Free vs Premium

Features in the free version and in Premium
Feature Free Premium
Block YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, Snapchat Spotlight, X videos One app at a time All six at once
Change which app is blocked Any time Any time
Regular videos and videos friends send you still play Yes Yes
Pause blocking (up to 24 hours) Yes Yes
Report a miss or a mistake Yes Yes
Detection updates Yes Yes
Ads None None
Account None None
Stats: blocked today, this week and all time Yes Yes
X: the video you tap plays, scrolling on is blocked Yes Yes
Tap to watch in the other apps (the video you tap plays, scrolling on is blocked) No Yes
Block videos friends send you, app by app No Yes
Allow videos you searched for, in all six apps No Yes
Allowed creators (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X) No Yes
Schedules and a daily allowance for each app No Yes
Strict mode No Yes
Price (US) Free $12.99 a year (about $1.08 a month) or $1.99 a month

About a dollar a month on the yearly plan. Monthly and yearly both start with a 7-day free trial for new customers, and you can cancel any time in Google Play. No weekly plans. Local prices are shown in Google Play and in the app.

Questions

Can I block YouTube Shorts but still watch regular YouTube videos?

Yes. ShortBlocker only blocks Shorts. Home, search, subscriptions, channels, comments and long videos all keep working.

Can I still watch a video a friend sends me?

Yes, in Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook (a Reel sent in Messenger). The video you were sent plays, so you can watch it and reply. If you swipe on to the recommended videos after it, ShortBlocker blocks them. This is on by default and free; Premium lets you block those videos too, app by app. YouTube is the exception: a Shorts link sent to you opens in YouTube’s Shorts player and is blocked.

Is ShortBlocker free?

Yes. The free version blocks one app at a time, with no ads and with Stats, and you can change which app whenever you like. Premium blocks all six apps at once and adds more controls, for about a dollar a month on the yearly plan.

Does it have ads or need an account?

No. There are no ads, no account, no sign-up and no tracking.

Which apps does it block?

YouTube Shorts, TikTok (including TikTok Lite), Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels in the main Facebook app, Snapchat Spotlight, and X videos.

Does it block X?

Yes. On X, the video you tap plays, and scrolling on to the next video is blocked. The timeline, profiles, search and chats keep working. On the free plan X is the one app you block; Premium blocks all six at once.

Can I still watch a video I tap?

On X, yes, for everyone: the video you tap plays, and scrolling on is blocked. With Premium, Tap to watch does the same in YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat, and you can switch it on app by app. The Shorts or Reels tab is still blocked.

Does it block short videos in a web browser?

No. It works in the apps above, not on websites in a web browser.

Can I take a break from blocking?

Yes. Pause blocking for 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or any length up to 24 hours. It switches back on by itself, or you can resume early.

Can I see how many videos it has blocked?

Yes, and it is free. Stats shows what was blocked today, this week and all time, only on your phone.

Why does it need accessibility access?

Android’s accessibility service is how ShortBlocker sees that a short video has opened in a supported app and leaves it. It reads those apps’ screens on your phone only. Nothing leaves your phone unless you choose to send a report. You turn it on yourself in Android settings and can turn it off at any time.

Which Android phones does it work on?

ShortBlocker runs on Android 8 or later. Setup steps for Google Pixel, Samsung, Xiaomi and other phones are in the setup guide.

How do I report a screen that was missed or blocked by mistake?

Tap Wrong? on the blocked notice if something was blocked by mistake. If a short video wasn’t blocked, add the Report a page button to your quick settings from Settings, Help, Report a screen, then tap it while the video is open. You see exactly what is sent before you send anything: the screen’s outline and basic device details, with no text or pictures. The full steps are in the report guide.

What does Premium add?

Premium blocks all six apps at once. It adds per-app settings: Tap to watch, blocking the videos friends send you, and allowing videos you searched for. It also adds allowed creators (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X), schedules, a daily allowance for each app and strict mode. Everything else is free.

How much does Premium cost?

About a dollar a month on the yearly plan, and Premium is optional. In the US it costs $12.99 a year (about $1.08 a month) or $1.99 a month. Both start with a 7-day free trial for new customers, and you can cancel any time in Google Play. There are no weekly plans. Local prices are shown in Google Play and in the app.

Is ShortBlocker made by YouTube, TikTok or Meta?

No. ShortBlocker is developed independently by SNOR LTD and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Meta, Snap or X. Those names are trademarks of their owners.

Get ShortBlocker

Get it on Google Play