Mialera
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Guide

How to block Instagram on iPhone

Updated October 1, 2026. iPhone steps checked against Apple’s iPhone User Guide (iOS 27 and iOS 26).

Short answer

There are three ways. Screen Time, built into the iPhone, sets a daily limit, but according to Apple it can be ignored by default once it is reached (iOS 26). Instagram’s daily limit only reminds you; it does not block. For a block with no unlock button, use an app like Mialera.

1. With iPhone Screen Time

The names changed in iOS 27, released in September 2026. To check your version, open Settings > General > About.

On iOS 27

In iOS 27, limits are called Time Allowances and they work by category (such as social media), not by app. Apple’s guide has no step for limiting Instagram on its own.

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time. If you have not used it yet, tap Manage Screen Time > Turn On App & Website Activity.
  2. Tap Time Allowances.
  3. Tap the category (for example, social media) and drag the slider, or tap − and +, to set the time per day.

On iOS 26

  1. Open Settings > Screen Time > App & Website Activity and tap Turn On App & Website Activity if it is not on yet.
  2. Go back and tap App Limits > Add Limit.
  3. Tap the category name to see its apps, select Instagram and tap Next.
  4. Set the time per day and tap Done.

Heads-up: for iOS 26, Apple’s guide says that by default, Screen Time limits can be ignored once reached. See how to make the limit hold.

2. With Instagram itself

  1. In Instagram, tap Profile, then Menu in the top right.
  2. Below How you use Instagram, tap Time management > Daily limit.
  3. Choose an amount of time and confirm.

For adult accounts, the daily limit is only a reminder: Instagram lets you know, but it keeps opening. A real block there only exists for Teen Accounts, when a parent chooses to block.

3. With Mialera, no unlock button

Mialera uses the same Apple Screen Time API, but it lets you pick Instagram on its own, and its block screen has no unlock button.

  1. Download Mialera from the App Store and open it.
  2. When your iPhone asks for Screen Time access, tap Continue.
  3. In the Goals tab, tap + new, choose After a time each day and tap Continue.
  4. Under Which apps, tap Pick and select Instagram.
  5. Under How much time a day, choose the limit and tap Create goal.

When time is up, Instagram closes and stays closed until the day turns over. Inside the app you can pause the goal or raise the time, unless it is sealed (Mialera+). The free plan already includes 1 time goal and 1 schedule goal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I block Instagram only at night?

Yes. In Mialera, create an “On a schedule” goal, for example from 11 pm to 7 am. On iPhone, use Screen Time Schedule (iOS 27) or Downtime (iOS 26). The steps are in how to stop scrolling your phone before bed.

Does Instagram’s daily limit block the app?

Not for adults. It only shows a reminder when you go past the time you chose. Blocking only exists for supervised Teen Accounts.

Can I unblock in an emergency?

In Mialera, the block screen has no unlock button, but inside the app you can pause the goal or raise the time, unless it is sealed. In Screen Time, it depends on your iOS version and whether you set a passcode.

Mialera is free to start: the free plan never expires and already blocks.

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