For Android. Coming soon to iPhone.
Keep your apps and your messages, just without the scroll.
Instagram Reels, the TikTok feed, YouTube Shorts, Facebook videos: they go behind a black screen. Messages, search, profiles and comments work as before.
Works with Instagram TikTok Facebook YouTube
You can still watch it, by beating a challenge.
Or learn something instead. The big button opens a lesson that takes a few seconds:
Every day the protection stays on, your hero moves forward. Each level brings a new piece of gear: boots, shield, cape, sword… up to wings after a year.
Day 1
Level 1 · First step
7 days
Level 4 · Time keeper
30 days
Level 6 · Focus master
365 days
Level 10 · Scroll Savior legend
Pick its colour and hairstyle, and find more outfits in the app’s shop.
One week on TikTok and Instagram
Find your number in Digital Wellbeing (Android) or Screen Time (iPhone).
hours × 0.6 (videos are about 60% of the time spent in these apps)time back × 365 ÷ 24time back ÷ 16 × 50 (16 waking hours a day)It’s an estimate: how much time you really get back is up to you.
Apple does not let apps draw over other apps. On iPhone, ScrollSavior therefore works through Safari and a local network filter, with a few limits.
| Feature | Android | iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Videos inside the apps | YesBlack screen in all 4 apps | PartlyLocal DNS filter: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram (photos included) and part of Facebook |
| Videos in the browser | No | YesSafari extension on the 4 sites |
| “Watch” button and challenge | YesFor every video | YesPer video in Safari; in the apps, a few minutes of videos |
| Strict mode | Yes | No |
| Time report | Automatic | ManualYou enter your average |
| Availability | APK to download here | Coming soon on the App Store |
No account, no analytics, and nothing is sent to the developer.
Blocking stays free. A monthly support pays for development and unlocks the advanced options: every “Learn” topic and brutal mode.
5 € a month by default, any amount, cancel whenever you like. You can also unlock the options by inviting 6 people.
Install ScrollSavior and leave Instagram turned on in the app. On Android, Reels and feed videos go behind a black screen, while direct messages, search, profiles and photo posts stay available. No need to uninstall Instagram.
ScrollSavior hides YouTube Shorts and the YouTube player, as well as TikTok’s “For You” and “Following” feeds. To watch a specific video, tap “▶ Watch” and beat the challenge.
By removing what keeps you scrolling forever: short videos. ScrollSavior hides them, suggests you learn something instead and levels up your character with every scroll-free day. Its time report shows how much you get back.
Yes: blocking, the “Watch” challenge, the time report and 4 “Learn” topics are free, with no account to create. The other topics and brutal mode unlock by supporting the project (5 €/month by default, any amount) or by inviting 6 people.
No. Only videos are covered. Messages, posts, search, profiles and comments work as usual, and taps go straight through the black screen.
Apple does not let an app draw over another app or read its screen. Inside the apps, ScrollSavior can therefore only filter servers. But Instagram serves its photos and videos from the same servers: to stop Reels, ScrollSavior blocks all of its media, which show up as empty squares. Messages and comments still work, and the “Watch 3 min” challenge brings everything back for 3 minutes.
Since Android 13, apps installed from an APK must be allowed once. Open ScrollSavior’s App info (Settings → Apps → ScrollSavior), tap ⋮ (top right), then Allow restricted settings. Then go back to Accessibility and turn ScrollSavior on.
ScrollSavior only scans the screen while Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or YouTube is open. The rest of the time, it does nothing.
Yes: tap “▶ Watch” and beat the 15-tap challenge. You can also pause ScrollSavior or turn off a specific app in the settings.
No. There is no account and no analytics, and nothing is sent to the developer. On iPhone, the filter’s DNS queries go to Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, never to us. Details in the privacy policy.
From public sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata, iNaturalist for trees and plants, Natural Earth for maps and flagcdn for flags. Your phone loads them directly, without going through us.
Safari extension and in-app video filter, in the works.