If you delete the Instagram app and use instagram.com in Safari on iPhone, your DMs still work, but the Reels and Explore tabs are still there and Instagram's notifications stop; minulo, an iPhone app, opens the same website with the Reels and Explore tabs and suggested posts hidden for free.
I'm Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo, so please read the minulo parts with that in mind. Safari and Home Screen steps come from Apple's iPhone User Guide (checked October 26, 2026). I couldn't open the text of Instagram Help's articles about the website that day, so I say where something couldn't be confirmed.
What changes when you switch to Safari
- DMs: they work on the website. About Instagram describes sending a message with Messages, then Compose, choosing people, Chat and Send. I couldn't confirm in Instagram Help exactly which message features the mobile website in Safari has.
- Reels and Explore: still there. The website has both tabs.
- Notifications: this is the bigger change. Instagram's notifications come from the official app, so without it you don't get them. Apple says some websites ask for permission to send notifications when you add them to the Home Screen; I couldn't confirm whether instagram.com does this on iPhone.
- Your account: it stays. Apple's guide says deleting an app removes it and its data from your iPhone, not your Instagram account or DMs.
Steps: delete the app and use Safari
- Touch and hold Instagram on the Home Screen.
- Tap Remove App, then Delete App, then Delete.
- Open instagram.com in Safari and log in.
- Optional: tap the page menu button, then Share (or the Share button if your Tabs layout is Bottom or Top), tap Add to Home Screen, turn on Open as Web App and tap Add. It is still the same website, Reels and Explore included.
The catch: the app is back in a minute if you download it again.
Steps: hide Reels in Safari with an extension
- In Safari, tap the page menu button, then Manage Extensions, then Browse Extensions, and tap Get on the one you want.
- Go to Settings, Apps, Safari, Extensions, tap the extension and turn on Allow Extension.
Nope is free with no subscriptions, in-app purchases or ads, per its App Store page. It hides Reels, Shorts, Explore, Stories and autoplay on instagram.com and youtube.com, and needs iOS 17 or later. ScrollGuard is free with Pro in-app purchases, and its 1.2.1 release notes add an Instagram DMs only mode. Both work only in Safari. I couldn't confirm whether extensions also run when a site opens as a web app.
Steps: use the website without Reels in minulo
- Install minulo and open Instagram inside it. Log in on Instagram's own login page; minulo does not receive or store your password.
- Tap the gear next to Instagram and turn on the Reels and Explore tabs switch and hiding suggested posts, or turn on Every tab but DMs to keep only messages. This is free.
- Optional: you don't need to delete the official app. In the Block tab, lock it with Screen Time, free for up to 2 hours per block. Open in minulo on its block screen takes you to Instagram without Reels.
Comparison
| Option | DMs | Reels and Explore | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram app as is | Yes | Always there | Adult accounts have no setting that hides the Reels tab |
| instagram.com in Safari | Yes | Still there | No notifications from the app |
| Safari with Nope | Not mentioned on its App Store page | Hidden in Safari | Free. Safari only |
| Safari with ScrollGuard | DMs only mode (1.2.1) | Hidden in Safari | Pro in-app purchases. Safari only |
| minulo | Yes. Every tab but DMs leaves only DMs | Tabs and suggested posts hidden | Free. Only inside minulo. No voice messages or calls |
Honest limits
- Reels are hidden only inside minulo. The official app doesn't change.
- While minulo blocks an official app, that app's notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. If you rely on DM alerts, keep the app unlocked.
- Posting Stories, voice messages and calls aren't available, because the website doesn't have them. On Instagram, the Reels and Explore tabs share one switch.
- minulo runs on iPhone and Mac, not Android, and it is new, with few ratings.
- Hiding is free. Pro ($9.99 a month or $39.99 a year in the US, first 7 days free) adds Sleep mode (one bedtime and wake time every day), Hard Mode, a Daily limit and blocks longer than 2 hours.
Sources and more detail: Instagram in Safari instead of the app, what's free in minulo and what minulo can't do.
FAQ
Do Reels go away if I delete the Instagram app?
No. Deleting the app removes only the app; the website has the Reels and Explore tabs too.
Will I get DM notifications without the app?
Not from the app, because Instagram's notifications come from it. I couldn't confirm whether instagram.com asks to send notifications on iPhone.
Is minulo the same as using Instagram in Safari?
It uses the same website, so DMs, posting photos and comments work, and voice messages and calls aren't available. The difference is that minulo hides Reels, Explore and suggested posts, and it can lock the official app so you don't have to delete it.
