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Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

scrollguard.app

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Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#251

Post by biosboiii »

Great work!

I was working on something similiar, using ReVanced(1) Framework, which allows you to distribute fuzzy tweaks to regular APKs with their ReVanced Manager(2) which can persist multiple version updates.

They have their own DSL (3), kinda.

My target was Instagram Reels, I did not come that far with JADX in finding the appropriate methods/attributes to overwrite because I kept getting stuck scrolling reels on my Android Emulator.

Novel obfuscation technique by Meta :/

(1) https://github.com/revanced

(2) https://github.com/revanced/revanced-manager

(3) https://github.com/ReVanced/revanced-patcher/blob/main/docs/...

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#252

Post by heresie-dabord »

Imustaskforhelp wrote: post #238
habosa wrote: post #206

So I only use Instagram for the DMs with friends. I don’t follow anyone at all, so my feed should be empty. For years it was. Then at some point Instagram decided I must not know what I want, they should show me recommended posts from random accounts. There’s a setting to turn this off … but instead of being a normal toggle I can only “snooze” the posts for 30 days. 30 days of peace and then the spam comes back. No m…

Dude if you only want to use insta for dms, try bleeper. I swear, most of my school friends only use / are active on insta and I never used insta because I Hated reels / insta in general (my personal opinion, never found it appealing) So my friend suggested me to use bleeper, I had heard of it ofc but I mean I always thought eh it would be too much of an hassle, then when my friend did it and said its easy so I actua…

Sincere question: What is the reason for the popular appeal of using Instagram for messaging?

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#253

Post by kevincox »

heresie-dabord wrote: post #252
Imustaskforhelp wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dude if you only want to use insta for dms, try bleeper. I swear, most of my school friends only use / are active on insta and I never used insta because I Hated reels / insta in general (my personal opinion, never found it appealing) So my friend suggested me to use bleeper, I had heard of it ofc but I mean I always thought eh it would be too much of an hassle, then when my friend did it and said its easy so I actua…

Sincere question: What is the reason for the popular appeal of using Instagram for messaging?

Because it is what your friends and potential friends are using.

It isn't really a noteworthy messaging app other than bring attached to a popular app.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#254

Post by baduiux »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #114

This kind of control is what we miss out on when we leave web apps for native apps. Ideally this would just be a simple browser plugin. But the app requires major accessibility permissions so that it can access the API it needs to see into the Android apps, something that doesn't even exist on iOS. Just to do what should amount things like deleting a ".reels" component. That said, props to OP for figuring out how to…

+1

Native apps can in many ways be better than web apps but they definitely lack the client side control that a web app (or any website) comes with. The user is sadly just a consumer and the product at the same time without an opinion.

What I also don’t like are companies that more and more push the user into using the native (I.e. installed) app over the website. I use almost all apps in browser (YouTube, LinkedIn) and the LinkedIn website has a “this content is only visible in the LinkedIn app” banner that is so prominent, it’s disgusting. You’re unable to see details of people changing their job / completing a degree and you’re unable to see the list of “visitors of your profile” (even though this is a silly feature).

On iOS I use YouTube in the browser for a single reason: ads are not shown and/or skippable by reloading the site. Sometimes I use the YouTube app on an iPad and the advertisement experience is so bad. I highly recommend using YouTube in browser (Safari).

Since I’m also somewhat addicted to short, but only use YouTube, I’ve built a chrome+safari extension that allows me to watch X shorts (for longer than 1sec) before closing the page and redirecting me to a different page (whatever you want). This is quite helpful. You can check it out [here](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/youtube-shorts-trac...). I also use it on iOS via the Safari extension but I haven’t published it yet.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#256

Post by skandinaff »

amunozo wrote: post #247

Does this work on the web version? I uninstalled the YouTube app but I keep watching shorts in Chrome anyway...

I had the same problem, but then discovered that chrome extension StayFree (used to be called StayFocused or something) released and app for android, that can block sites on android too. Now, I just added links to all the short video pages of all major social networks, and it does work!

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#257

Post by adrianhacar »

business_liveit wrote: post #211

Nice work! Using the Accessibility Service for scroll detection is a clever approach. I imagine keeping it lightweight while monitoring multiple apps could be tricky — did you run into performance or battery usage issues while testing?

Thanks! I haven't seen any issue with battery or performance. But if you find any problem, feel free to drop me an email and I'll take a look

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#258

Post by adrianhacar »

Phlogistique wrote: post #149

The problem I have had with this type of app is that, on Instagram at least any video that a friend posts is considered a reel. And I want to watch videos that my friends post. What I don't want is swiping mindlessly through random videos. So really I would like a swipe blocker not a short video blocker. (And bonus points if I could make it work on Firefox)

This is a good point, I will try to find a solution. Currently, it's able to whitelist Reels from the DM feed, and it will block the rest as soon as you start scrolling, I'll see how to do this for normal posted reels.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#259

Post by sneak »

walthamstow wrote: post #250
sneak wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your friends can’t install a free app and type in their phone number and an auth code (literally takes 30 seconds) to talk to you privately, they aren’t your friends. (I have no other messengers and have recruited about a hundred people to use Signal, including much of the Vegas cash game poker scene.) Quality over quantity is important always, but is of utmost importance when it comes to personal associations. De…

This is a bizarre position that seems to be advocating for family and friend estrangement based on which chat app they use.

Quite the opposite.

You won’t be able to have friends period if all of society opts in to mass warrantless surveillance.

Re: Show HN: I built an app to block Shorts and Reels

#260

Post by adrianhacar »

awaseem wrote: post #83

I love this! You don't see these types of apps for Android. I get the request for Foqos: https://github.com/awaseem/foqos Would you ever open source this?

Thanks, glad you like it! I’m not planning to open source it, at least in the short term
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