Are you ready to quit Instagram for good? If so, you've probably considered (or perhaps even tried) uninstalling the app from your smartphone—only to reinstall it later on. The good news is that it's possible to both limit and completely block the Instagram app on your Android smartphone.

Unfortunately, Android doesn't let you block apps by default, only set time limits. You can either limit how you much you use the Instagram App or consider more advanced methods that will block it altogether.

There are a few ways block the Instagram app on Android entirely and we recommend combining multiple methods together:

1. Use DNS Filtering to block the Instagram app and mobile website on Android smartphones or other devices that you might use to bypass your smartphone restrictions.
2. Utilize the Android parental control features to limit Instagram access or use a more strict blocking approach with Mobile Device Management.

Strategies for Blocking the Instagram App Completely on Android

Using the Tech Lockdown dashboard , you can completely disable both the Instagram app and website on your Android smartphone.

If you install the filter on your Android device, then the rules that you set on your Content Policy will start taking effect.

Furthermore, most Android devices have parental controls included in a Digital Wellbeing and parental controls section. By combining these settings with DNS filtering, you can have two layers blocking Instagram on your Android smartphone.

On Google Pixel phones and Samsung phones, you can find parental control options offered by Google in the device's general settings.

If you want to use parental controls to block the Instagram app, you will have to set up and install Family Link . Unfortunately, this also means you will have at least two Google accounts, one to act as a parent and other as a child. 

Family Link might be a good option for families, but we don't believe it's a good option if you're self-managing. It's not just because you'd need multiple Google accounts, there are other reasons:

• In order for any kind of app limits to be enabled for a child Google account, the age set for the account must be less than 13 years old.
• Child accounts can leave Family Link relatively easily, so even if you did get it set up correctly, it's easy to undo.

For those interesting in setting up an effective blocking system , we strongly recommend enabling managed mode on your Android devices instead. Managed mode let's you create your own blocklist of apps.

Turning your standard Android device into a managed device allows you to unlock other features; features that aren't possible with a standard device:

• Prevent an app from being uninstalled (this is perfect if you want to prevent a content filtering app from being uninstalled).
• Remotely install and uninstall apps.

Schedule Limits for Your Instagram Usage

Instead of fully blocking the Instagram app, one step in the right direction would be to limit when and how long you can browse Instagram. There are two main ways to do this:

1. Set a schedule for what times of the day you can use the App.
2. Set an App Timer to prevent you from continuously scrolling your feed.

If you've installed the Tech Lockdown filter on your Android smartphone, then you can choose two options for limiting when you can access Instagram.

The first option is to use the dashboard to enforce internet downtimes at night  to block access to all websites and apps including Instagram.

Alternatively, you could set a scheduled block rule that only allows access to distracting apps like instagram on a schedule that you specify.

Your  DNS content policy will apply to all devices with the filter installed by default. This can seriously reduce your temptation to simply use another device (like your computer) when you should be focusing.

However, you could also scope a rule to a person if Instagram is only a problem for a specific person in your household.

A problem you might run into if you've set a schedule: you might try to "maximize" you Instagram usage during your allowed times. Sure, you've prevented yourself from accessing the app when you should be working, but you might end up spending the same (or more) during the times you've allowed.

Instead, you can combine a scheduled DNS rule with App Limits.

There are two main options you can consider: either install a screen time app from the Google Play store or use built-in Android parental controls . Most Android smartphone devices should have a section for Digital Wellbeing and parental controls:

We've already taken a look at how limited Family Link is, but Digital Wellbeing has some tools you may be able to take advantage of without it:

• You can set App Limits, however, you won't be able to lock these settings.
• You can schedule a Downtime, so you won't get distracted by notifications. However, your ability to prevent the Instagram website are extremely limited.

If you're trying to self-manage, we don't recommend relying on App Limits or Downtime by itself. It's simply too easy to disable and not powerful enough to block all kinds of content. You might use these features in combination DNS filtering or Managed Mode.

Going Further with Bypass Prevention

When it comes to dealing with addictive content online and the subsequent bad habits, I've found that a multi-layered approach is essential. Crafting effective blocking systems is what we focus on at Tech Lockdown.

However, you might need to go further in some cases with more of a focus on bypass prevention.

Here's what I mean by that. For Android smartphones:

1. Built-in parental control features are designed for productivity, and as a result are fairly easy to bypass, especially if you are self-managing.
2. You need to consider both the app and web versions of most apps.
3. Some people are highly motivated to get around blockers to access addictive content.

These step-by-step instructions are made available to Tech Lockdown members in your account dashboard in the guides section.