Instagram is locked
before you're even awake.

A Fella routine blocks Instagram starting the moment you wake up and holds until mid-morning, so the first twenty minutes of the day happen somewhere other than a feed.

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Matthew KFounder, FellaGuide

For a lot of people, the first phone check of the day has a name, and it's Instagram specifically. Fella does not have a feature named for mornings. It has routines: a schedule you set once that starts a real blocking session automatically, applied here to the hours right after you wake up, scoped to just Instagram.

Set it before bed, not in the morning

Build a routine that starts before you wake and ends mid-morning. Select Instagram on its own, and the routine locks it before there's a chance to open it out of habit.

Leave your alarm and anything else you need first thing unselected. Selection in Fella is per app, so the block only covers what you choose.

This blocks the app, not one feed inside it

Be clear about what this actually does. Fella blocks the entire Instagram app during the session. It does not separate DMs from posts or from the Reels feed, because those all live inside the same app.

If keeping direct messages available while removing Reels specifically matters more, see our block Instagram Reels guide.

Still reachable for anything real

A morning block should never mean cut off. Leave Phone and Messages off the blocked list so you can still be reached the normal way. For the one time Instagram genuinely can't wait, each session includes a single 5-minute emergency unlock, then the block resumes automatically for the rest of the morning.

Beyond the morning routine

For the habit side of why the first check happens at all, see our stop checking your phone in the morning guide, or block social media in the morning if it isn't just Instagram. For blocking Instagram all day, not just the morning, see how to block Instagram on iPhone.

Fella, up close.

  • Built with Apple’s Screen Time controls.
  • One 5-minute emergency unlock per session.
  • Apps stay blocked by default.

Everything you need to stay focused, right from Home.

Fella Home screen showing focus routines and session lengths

Blocking Instagram in the morning: FAQ

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