CherryBrew vs ScrollGuard, AppBlock and Unhook
We make CherryBrew. This comparison uses each app’s own Google Play listing as of November 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
People who search for a way to block Reels on Android usually end up choosing between the same handful of apps. Four of them take four different approaches, and the approach matters more than the feature list.
The short version
- CherryBrew removes the feeds. You use the real Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit and TikTok inside CherryBrew, and Reels, Shorts, Explore and For You are not on the page.
- ScrollGuard guards the native apps. It detects short videos and blocks them when they open.
- AppBlock blocks apps and websites, on a schedule if you like, including Instagram’s Reels section.
- Unhook sets a limit. Watch a few, then it kicks you out and blocks the feed for a while.
Side by side
| CherryBrew | ScrollGuard | AppBlock | Unhook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Removes feeds before you see them | Blocks short videos in native apps | Blocks apps, sites or sections on schedules | Kicks you out after a video limit |
| Instagram DMs and Stories | Keep | Keep | Keep if you block only Reels | Keep |
| YouTube without Shorts | Yes | Yes | Yes, as a section | Yes, after the limit |
| Apps | Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, TikTok | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Reddit, LinkedIn | Any app or website | Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Reddit |
| Uses the native app | No, the real sites in CherryBrew | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Needs Accessibility to block | No (only for an optional reminder) | Yes | For some features | Yes |
| iPhone | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price | $2.99/month or $20 lifetime | Core blocking without paying; premium optional | Paid plans optional | No subscription |
CherryBrew vs ScrollGuard
ScrollGuard is the most popular app built specifically to block Reels and Shorts, and it does that well in the native apps, on Android and iPhone. It reacts when you open a short video, and adds an anti-scroll popup and a password-locked strict mode on top.
CherryBrew takes the other road: the Reels tab, Explore and the Shorts shelf are never shown, because you’re using the real sites inside CherryBrew with those parts filtered out. There’s nothing to bounce off, and your DMs, Stories and search sit where they always were.
Pick ScrollGuard if you want to stay in the native apps or need iPhone. Pick CherryBrew if you’d rather the feeds simply weren’t there and you mostly use social apps for messages and friends.
CherryBrew vs AppBlock
AppBlock is a heavyweight blocker for apps and websites, with schedules by time, location or Wi-Fi and a strict mode. It’s excellent when the goal is less phone: blocking social media during work or study, for example. It can also block Instagram’s Reels section on its own.
CherryBrew is narrower on purpose. It never blocks an app. It removes the parts of six apps that are built to keep you scrolling, all day, with no schedule to set.
Pick AppBlock for schedules and whole-app blocking. Pick CherryBrew if you want to keep using the apps, minus the feeds. Some people use both.
CherryBrew vs Unhook
Unhook is small, private and simple: choose Light, Normal or Strict, and it counts the short videos you watch, kicks you out when you hit the limit, then blocks the feed for a few minutes. It has no account and no internet permission.
CherryBrew doesn’t count. The Reels and Shorts feeds are removed, so there’s no limit to hit and no cooldown to wait out.
Pick Unhook if you want to allow yourself a few videos. Pick CherryBrew if your number is zero.
Where CherryBrew is the wrong choice
- You’re on iPhone. CherryBrew is Android only for now.
- You make Reels or rely on Instagram’s camera tools daily. You’ll want the native app for that.
- You want to block whole apps on a schedule. That’s AppBlock’s job.
For the full field, including Fluid Friction, one sec and others, see the best Reels blockers for Android. To try the CherryBrew approach, start with how to block Instagram Reels on Android.
Questions
What is the difference between CherryBrew and ScrollGuard?
ScrollGuard watches the native Instagram and YouTube apps through Android's Accessibility Service and blocks short videos when they open; it runs on Android and iPhone. CherryBrew opens the real sites in its own in-app browser with Reels, Shorts and other algorithmic feeds removed before you see them, keeps DMs and Stories, and runs on Android.
Is CherryBrew an app blocker like AppBlock?
No. AppBlock blocks whole apps and websites on schedules. CherryBrew never locks you out of an app; it removes the feeds inside Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit and TikTok and keeps the rest working.
How is CherryBrew different from Unhook?
Unhook lets you watch a set number of Reels or Shorts, then kicks you out and blocks the feed for a while. CherryBrew removes the Reels and Shorts feeds entirely, so there is no count and no limit to hit.