ReelBlock vs TowerGate

Free. No account, no sign-up, no subscription, no server. You sign in to Instagram itself, inside Apple's own web view, exactly as you would in Safari. ReelBlock never sees your password. Your settings, your timer and your statistics are stored on this phone and are never uploaded anywhere, because there is nowhere to upload them to. Nothing is collected and nothing is sold. WHAT IT DOES ReelBlock opens Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook with the endless bits removed. Your friends, your DMs and your stories stay. The Reels tab, the For You page, Explore and the suggested posts do not. FIVE WAYS TO USE IT Most people know the scroll is bad for them and enjoy it anyway, so ReelBlock is a dial, not a light switch. - Full block. No reels. None. Anywhere. - Friends only. Posts from people you follow, nothing the algorithm picked. - Friends and interests. Plus a few posts a day on things you chose. - Capped. Reels allowed up to a number you set, then they stop. - Aware. Reels stay, and a card tells you what you have spent. A TIME BUDGET THAT STOPS YOU Set a daily budget. You get a nudge partway through, and at the limit the screen goes dark and asks if you are done. Time is counted only while you are actually looking, never while the app sits in your pocket. Keep one budget for each app, or one shared between all of them. THE AWARENESS CARD Every so often, between scrolls, ReelBlock states the number. "Forty reels, twenty-eight minutes." No lecture, no shame. Carry on, or stop. THE LONG VIEW Two hours a day, from twenty-one to eighty, is nearly five years of your life. ReelBlock does that sum with your own numbers. STUDY MODE Set a date. ReelBlock locks itself until you pass it, with a countdown on the screen. No breaks, no toggles, no talking yourself round at 1am the night before an exam. A COMMITMENT LOCK Lock your settings for an hour, a day or a week. PARENT MODE A PIN over the parent controls, approved topics, and bedtime and school-hour windows. Set up on the device, stored on the device. Free, like everything else. ONE REEL, THAT'S THE DEAL When a friend sends you a reel, you watch it. Try to scroll past it and ReelBlock says no. ALSO IN SAFARI ReelBlock ships a Safari extension, so the same rules apply when you browse these sites in Safari. Turn it on in Settings, Apps, Safari, Extensions. WHAT STAYS Posts from people you follow. Stories, unless you turn them off. Direct messages, in full. Search, profiles, saved posts and notifications. EVERY FEATURE IS FREE There is no paid tier. Hiding the home feed, hiding suggested posts, parent mode, study mode and the time budget are all included, because a focus tool that holds your focus to ransom is not a focus tool. ReelBlock is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Instagram, Meta, TikTok, YouTube or Google.

TowerGate combines device-wide DNS privacy, Safari content blocking, and a Video Browser built for more comfortable playback, all from one simple control center. Block common ads, trackers, telemetry, and malicious domains before they load. Use encrypted DNS protection across supported traffic on your iPhone and iPad, add an extra blocking layer in Safari, and choose how strongly TowerGate should filter. WHY TOWERGATE • Block common ads and trackers Filter known advertising, tracking, telemetry, gambling, and security domains before they connect. • Works beyond Safari Safari content blockers only work in Safari. TowerGate’s DNS layer can filter supported requests from apps, games, and other browsers across your device. • Encrypted DNS routing Route DNS lookups over DNS-over-HTTPS through the selected privacy-focused filtering provider. • Safari web blocking Reduce ads, trackers, popups, and page clutter in Safari where supported by iOS content-blocking rules. • Three protection levels Choose Balanced, Strict, or Privacy First. Stronger modes filter more categories, while Balanced is designed to reduce site and app breakage. • Status at a glance See whether DNS and Safari protection need attention, refresh Safari rules, and check TowerGate from the Home Screen widget. VIDEO BROWSER TowerGate now includes a dedicated browser for watching supported video websites with more control. • Picture in Picture and background playback Keep supported videos playing in PiP or continue listening when TowerGate moves to the background. • Your personal video library Save pages as Favorites or Watch Later, organize them with folders and tags, and continue supported videos from your saved playback position. • Sleep Timer Stop playback after a selected duration or when the current video ends. • Playback controls Choose a default playback speed, control fullscreen rotation, block autoplay, keep the screen awake during video, and manage AirPlay and Bluetooth output. • Faster access Search the web, add and arrange your favorite video sites, and revisit pages from local browser history. • Fewer website interruptions On supported sites, TowerGate helps reduce cookie prompts and banners that try to open another app. PRIVACY LOCK Protect the entire app or only the Video Browser with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. You can also hide TowerGate’s preview in the app switcher. PREMIUM PROTECTION TowerGate Premium unlocks device-wide DNS filtering and premium playback features, including Picture in Picture and background playback. A 3-day free trial may be available with an eligible subscription; availability, price, and terms are shown before purchase. IMPORTANT NOTES Video features depend on the website, its player, media restrictions, and iOS support. Picture in Picture, background playback, playback progress, and other controls may not work with every video. Native DNS configuration is managed by iOS and may require a quick step in iPhone Settings. Privacy Policy: https://towergate.app/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://towergate.app/terms-of-use/