Unloop catches the scroll before it catches you. It pauses the Reels feed, asks how you're really feeling, and offers something better to do, while a live counter shows where your day is going.
250 reels today · 25 min
What are you feeling?
A quick check-in before you scroll.
Keep scrolling
I'm the type of person who protects my sleep and gives my work my full attention because rested days go better.
Today so far: 250 reels · 25 min
Breathe in…
Follow the circle.
2:00
Quick check: better, same, or worse than a few minutes ago?
Recharged.
Watch the counter, then tap a feeling.
It isn't a willpower problem. Reels are designed so the next one is always easier than stopping.
Fast, endless, algorithm-picked videos make it hard to feel how long you've been watching. Research on short-video use finds people often misjudge it.
The urge usually isn't for Reels at all. It's a way out of boredom, tiredness, stress, or a task you'd rather not start.
Scrolling to escape a feeling, then feeling bad about scrolling, adds a second bad feeling. That makes the next scroll more likely.
Hard blocks get switched off, and they cut you off from the good parts of Instagram too, like your friends.
Scrolling habits run in a loop: a feeling, an urge, the scroll, then guilt that starts it again. Unloop steps in at each point.
An example day, start to finish. Every step is something the app does today.
Reels stay closed for the first half hour of your day. Messages and the rest of Instagram work normally.
You open Reels. Unloop starts with one slow breath, then shows today's total and asks how you feel. You tap "Tired."
It suggests standing at a window and finding three things that are moving. You go. Afterwards, a quick check-in asks how you feel now. You tap "Better," and Unloop remembers what works for you.
It plays freely, with no pause. When you swipe on into more Reels, the pause returns.
The counter passes 100 for the day and briefly grows. Your companion looks sleepy. You choose five more minutes, and when they're up, Unloop asks again.
The last half hour before bed is yours again.
Your dashboard shows yesterday against your goal, when the urges came, and which breaks left you feeling better.
Today's reels and time, right at the top of the screen while you scroll. It changes its look as the day goes on, because the brain tunes out anything that stays the same.
Seven feelings, shuffled each time so your thumb can't tap on autopilot.
Over 30 tiny activities, from a four-minute walk to a voice note to a friend, matched to your feeling and the time of day. Unloop learns which ones help you.
Set how much Reels feels right. Past it, continuing takes a short pause and retyping your own reason for cutting back.
Start and end your day without the feed. Changes take effect the next day, so you can't undo them in a weak moment.
See today against your goal, your week compared with your first week, when the urges come, and which breaks left you feeling better.
It lives in the counter. As the scroll goes on, it gets sleepy and foggy. Step away, and it recharges. It's a simple way to see what a long scroll feels like, without a single word of judgment.
Fresh: the start of your day, attention intact.
Unloop is built on published research about habits, attention, and behavior change. Here's what each part is based on.
Brain-imaging research found that putting feelings into words reduced activity in the brain's emotional alarm areas and engaged regions linked to self-control.
In UnloopThe pause starts with "What are you feeling?"
Lieberman et al., 2007, Psychological ScienceA meta-analysis found that simple "when this happens, I'll do that" plans had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals. Choosing plans from a list works too.
In UnloopYou build a plan in a few taps during setup, like "When I feel bored, I step outside."
Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006; Armitage and colleaguesAcross 138 experiments, monitoring progress toward a goal helped people reach it, especially when progress was recorded.
In UnloopYour dashboard shows today against the budget you chose.
Harkin et al., 2016, Psychological BulletinStudies of warning messages found the brain's response fades quickly when a warning looks the same every time, and lasts longer when its appearance varies.
In UnloopThe counter and pause screens change over time so they stay noticeable.
Anderson, Vance, Kirwan and colleaguesA 2026 field study of short-form scrolling found an explicit pop-up got people to stop much faster than a subtle, gradually darkening overlay.
In UnloopThe pause is a clear screen, not a faint overlay that blends into the video.
Field study on short-form video interventions, 2026In a study of over 86,000 phone sessions, talking with close friends and family felt highly meaningful, while passive scrolling felt least meaningful.
In UnloopMessages are never interrupted, and reels from friends play freely.
Lukoff et al., 2018Across four experiments, responding to setbacks with self-compassion increased people's motivation to improve.
In UnloopNo streaks, no scolding, no red warnings. Slips are treated as information.
Breines and Chen, 2012A glanceable garden on the phone's home screen, which grew with healthy activity, supported people's habits over three months. Simpler visuals worked better than elaborate ones.
In UnloopYour companion shows the state of a scroll at a glance.
Consolvo et al., UbiFit GardenThese studies describe the techniques Unloop uses. They are not studies of Unloop itself. Once our beta finishes, we'll share what we learned, including what didn't work.
Sending each other reels is part of talking. So when a friend shares one, it simply plays. Unloop only steps in when you swipe from their message into the endless feed.
Unloop uses Android's Accessibility permission to know when you're in Reels. Here is exactly what that means.
If the app crashes or stops detecting Reels, an anonymous report with no personal data or viewing activity is sent so it can be fixed. You can turn Unloop off anytime in Android settings.
Unloop is built by Zeuada, an independent one-person studio. There are no investors asking for more screen time and no ad business to feed. Just an app designed to be used less, and a real person reading every message.
Questions or ideas? Write to hello@zeuada.com.
No. It only pauses the Reels feed, and you can always choose to keep watching. Messages, stories, and the rest of Instagram work normally.
Yes. Reels opened from a chat play freely. The pause only appears if you swipe on into the feed.
No. It only knows which Instagram screen is open and when you swipe to a new reel.
It's the only way Android lets an app know you're on the Reels screen. Unloop uses it for that and nothing else, and explains exactly what it does before you turn it on.
Then you can. Pick five or ten minutes and enjoy them. Unloop is about choosing, not forbidding.
Unloop is under 5 MB and only reacts to Instagram, so it's designed to stay out of the way.
Not yet. Instagram Reels comes first.
Not right now. iOS doesn't allow apps to detect a specific screen inside another app, which Unloop depends on.
Unloop is in early testing on Android. Request access and you'll be among the first to try it.