How it works
How Reelless works, in plain language
What the Accessibility Service is
Android lets certain apps observe the structure of what’s on screen — buttons, labels, lists — and act on it. It was built for screen readers and assistive tools, and it’s also used by password managers, automation apps and digital wellbeing tools like Reelless.
It’s a powerful permission, so Android makes you turn it on yourself in Settings, and shows a clear warning. We think you should know exactly what we do with it before you do.
What Reelless reads — and what it doesn’t
Reelless only listens to the apps you’ve chosen to protect. Inside those apps, it looks for the layout signature of a short-video screen: the full-screen vertical player, the Reels shelf, the Shorts tab.
Reelless looks at
- Which protected app is in the foreground
- The structure of the current screen (for example, “a vertical video player is open”)
- Your own filter keywords, matched against post text on your phone, if you turn filters on
Reelless never
- Reads or stores your messages
- Records your screen or takes screenshots
- Sends screen content anywhere — not to us, not to anyone
- Looks at apps you didn’t choose to protect
- Collects passwords, payment details or anything you type
What Reelless does on your screen
When it recognizes a short-video screen, Reelless takes one of two simple actions: it presses the back button for you (the same as you tapping back), or it draws a calm panel over a Reels shelf so you can keep scrolling past it.
It never taps anything else, never posts, never likes, and never changes settings in other apps. It also doesn’t touch ads — Reelless is not an ad blocker.
Setting it up
Setup takes about a minute. The app guides you through each step.
- 1
Install Reelless and choose your apps
Pick which apps to protect, and what to block in each one.
- 2
Read the permission explanation
Before sending you to Settings, Reelless shows a plain-language summary of what the permission is used for — the same as this page.
- 3
Turn on Reelless in Accessibility settings
Android opens Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps → Reelless. Switch it on and confirm. On some phones this is under “Downloaded apps” or “Installed services”.
- 4
Allow restricted settings if asked
On Android 13 and newer, apps installed outside the Play Store may need “Allow restricted settings” first (App info → ⋮ menu). Play Store installs normally don’t.
- 5
Use your apps normally
Open YouTube or Instagram and try opening Shorts or Reels. Reelless should step in immediately.
Keeping it running on your phone
Some phone makers aggressively stop background services to save battery. If Reelless stops working after a while, these settings usually fix it:
Samsung
Settings → Battery → Background usage limits → make sure Reelless isn’t in “Sleeping apps” or “Deep sleeping apps”.
Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO
Turn on Autostart for Reelless and set Battery saver to “No restrictions” in the app’s settings.
OPPO, realme, OnePlus
App info → Battery → allow background activity and turn off “Optimize battery use”.
vivo, iQOO
Allow background power consumption and Autostart for Reelless in i Manager or Settings → Battery.
Huawei, Honor
Battery → App launch → set Reelless to “Manage manually” and enable all three switches.
Any phone
Settings → Apps → Reelless → Battery → “Unrestricted”. Reelless itself uses very little battery — it only wakes up when a protected app changes screens.
The Chrome extension
On a computer, Reelless works as a Chrome extension. It doesn’t need the Accessibility Service: it only runs on the supported sites you choose (like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram), and hides short-video sections of those pages — the Shorts shelf, Reels, recommendation feeds — as they load.
- Runs only on supported sites you enable
- Hides short-video sections instantly, without flicker
- Search-only YouTube, Friends-first Facebook, keyword filters, schedules and allowances
- Works without an account
Like the app, it does everything inside your browser. It doesn’t collect your browsing history, doesn’t read pages on other sites, doesn’t load remote code, and doesn’t block ads.
Reeless for iPhone (iOS)
On iPhone, Reeless works natively using Apple’s official Screen Time API (FamilyControls & ManagedSettings) and a high-performance Safari Content Blocker extension. It blocks addictive short-form feeds, enables mindful breathing breaks, and enforces Deep Focus Sprints without needing access to your private messages or media.
Everything runs 100% on-device with zero battery drain, zero external VPN routing, and zero tracking. You get seamless digital focus across Android, iPhone, and desktop browsers.
Get your evenings back.
Join early access and be first to try Reelless on Android and in Chrome.
Join early access. We’ll email you when the Android app or the Chrome extension is ready — no spam, no sharing your address.