A free filter list that blocks social feeds in uBlock Origin and AdGuard

I publish a free filter list that blocks the endless feeds on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X and Reddit. Add https://ivehadit.app/filters/feeds.txt to uBlock Origin or AdGuard and Reels, Explore, Shorts and For You stop loading, while posts, videos, profiles, search and messages keep working. It works in a desktop browser and in a phone's browser, and it is public domain.

Subscribe in one click on the filter list page.

What does the list block?

The main list blocks pages that are feeds and nothing else, so it can't take away something you were sent:

The strict list, at https://ivehadit.app/filters/feeds-strict.txt, adds each site's home feed: instagram.com/, youtube.com/, the X and TikTok home timelines, the Facebook News Feed, the Reddit front page and its sorts, and the LinkedIn feed page. Most sites land on their home feed right after you sign in, so with the strict list you go to a profile, a search or your inbox by address instead.

When a page is blocked, your blocker shows its own warning page. It has a way through if you really need that one page.

How do I add it to uBlock Origin or AdGuard on a computer?

1. Open the filter list page and press Subscribe. uBlock Origin, AdGuard and Adblock Plus pick the link up and ask you to confirm.
2. If nothing happens, add it by hand. In uBlock Origin, open the dashboard, go to Filter lists, tick Import at the bottom, paste https://ivehadit.app/filters/feeds.txt and press Apply changes. In AdGuard, add it under Filters, Custom.
3. Open instagram.com/reels or youtube.com/shorts in a new tab. You should see the blocker's warning page.

The list refreshes once a day on its own.

How do I use it on an iPhone or Android phone?

The list works in your phone's browser. It does not reach inside the Instagram, TikTok or YouTube apps, because those apps don't load web pages, and no filter list can change that.

• iPhone and iPad. Install AdGuard from the App Store and turn its Safari extensions on in Settings. In AdGuard, add a custom filter and paste the list's address. Safari then blocks the feed pages.
• Android. Install Firefox and add uBlock Origin from Firefox's add-ons. In uBlock Origin's dashboard, open Filter lists, tick Import, paste the address and apply. AdGuard for Android takes the same address as a custom filter.

What works for many people: delete the Instagram and TikTok apps, keep the accounts, and use the sites in the phone's browser with the list on. Messages and posts friends send still open. The feeds don't.

What can't a filter list do?

A filter list is a blunt tool, and it helps to know where it stops.

• It only acts when a page loads. Instagram, YouTube and X swap pages inside the site without loading new ones. Typing instagram.com/reels is blocked, but tapping Reels inside Instagram may not be. I hide the main Reels and Shorts buttons to make that harder, not impossible.
• No quick pass. A short or a reel someone sends you is blocked like the feed. The quick pass in the extension opens those for 30 seconds.
• No pause, no reason, no limit. A page is either blocked or not. There's no intent gate, no Ask first and no daily limit.
• No Messages always open. Inboxes aren't blocked, but on the strict list the home feed you land on after signing in is, even when you only came to reply to someone. The extension's messages always open setting handles that.
• Nothing is counted. There are no minutes back and no weekly picture.

Those are what the I've had it extension adds, in Chrome, Edge, Brave and Arc. If the list is enough for you, keep it. If you want the softer version, the install page has the extension, and how it decides explains what it does on each page.

Is there a dataset behind the list?

Yes. /filters/feeds.json lists, for each site, its hosts, which URL paths are feeds and which are messages (as regular expressions, with example addresses), and the filters made from them. It is generated from the rules the extension itself uses, so it changes when they do. It's public domain (CC0), so use it in your own blocker, research or tool without asking.

Questions

Can uBlock Origin block Instagram Reels?

Yes. Add the I've had it filter list (https://ivehadit.app/filters/feeds.txt) to uBlock Origin. It blocks instagram.com/reels and instagram.com/explore when they load and hides the Reels button, while posts, profiles and DMs keep working.

How do I block YouTube Shorts on my iPhone?

In Safari, with AdGuard for iOS and the I've had it filter list added as a custom filter. It blocks youtube.com/shorts and hides Shorts shelves on the mobile site. It does not affect the YouTube app.

Does the filter list block feeds inside the Instagram or TikTok apps?

No. Filter lists only work in a web browser. The apps don't load web pages, so nothing in a browser can reach them.

Is the filter list free?

Yes. The list and the dataset are free and public domain (CC0). You don't need an account or the extension to use them.

Why does tapping Reels inside Instagram sometimes still work?

Instagram changes the page without loading a new one, and a filter list only acts on page loads. The list hides the Reels button to help. The I've had it extension watches every page change, so it doesn't have this gap.

Something I need is blocked. What do I do?

Press the way through on the blocker's warning page for that one page, or switch to the main list if you're on strict. If you think the list is wrong, email me the address at hello@ivehadit.app.