Closes, doesn't lock
Reels and Shorts get closed. DMs, search, comments and normal videos keep working. The Instagram feed gives you one scroll per visit — the next one leaves the app, and the endless part ends.
Android 8+ · 53 KB · Zero permissions
Reels end here.
The app doesn't.
ScrollStop closes Reels and Shorts the moment they open, and caps the Instagram feed at one scroll. Chats, search, Stories and normal videos keep working. Six apps, one switch each. No account, no ads, and no internet permission at all.
Download APKv1.0.4 · 53 KB · signed
Sideload only · signed APK · nothing to sign up for
53 KBthe whole download
0permissions asked
6apps covered
Freeno ads, no account
What it does
One Back press. That's the whole trick.
No overlay, no timer, no wall. When a Reel or Short opens — or you try a second scroll of the Instagram feed — ScrollStop presses Back for you and you land exactly where you were.
Only the apps you pick
Six switches, six apps. Turn on YouTube and leave Instagram alone — or the other way round. WhatsApp is not on the list at all.
Nothing leaves the phone
The APK asks for zero permissions, including internet. No login, no analytics, no server, no ads. 53 KB of Kotlin and nothing else.
Options
Three choices. No account.
Pick the reaction
Close the player, leave the app, or lock the screen. One tap and every catch uses it — Back is the default.
One reel, one scroll
The first reel plays; the next swipe closes it. The Instagram feed gives you one scroll per visit; the next one leaves the app. Both limits can be switched off.
Block whole apps
For the apps that are the problem, not just the feed. Pick them and ScrollStop sends you Home the moment they open — no overlay, no extra permission.
Supported apps
Six feeds, one list.
▶YouTube Shorts
◎Instagram Reels
fFacebook Reels
SSnapchat Spotlight
♪TikTok
𝕏X videos
Instagram Stories stay untouched. So do WhatsApp Status, chats and normal videos everywhere. The one-scroll feed cap is Instagram-only and can be turned off in the app.
Install
Four taps. No stuck screens.
Android warns about every app that did not come from the Play Store. Usually that is just a warning with an "Install anyway" button. In some countries it is a hard block with only an OK button — both paths are covered here.
Download the APK
Tap download. If Chrome says "This type of file can harm your device", tap Download anyway. Open this page in Chrome — the Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp in-app browser refuses APK downloads.
Open the file
Tap the finished download (Chrome → Downloads, or your Files app). Android asks once to allow "Install unknown apps" — allow it for the browser or Files app only, nothing else.
Play Protect
If you see More details → Install anyway, tap it. If the screen only has OK ("App blocked to protect your device"), that is the hard block — use the three fixes below. This APK requests zero permissions, not even internet.
Turn it on
Open ScrollStop, pick your apps, tap Turn on and enable ScrollStop in accessibility settings. On Android 13+, if that switch is greyed out: Settings → Apps → ScrollStop → ⋮ → Allow restricted settings, then try again.
If it still will not install or download
- "App not installed". An older ScrollStop with a different signature is probably still on the phone. Uninstall it first, then install this APK — updates after that keep working, because every build is signed with the same key.
- Play Protect button is greyed out. Play Store → profile → Play Protect → gear → turn off "Scan apps with Play Protect", install, then turn it back on. The APK has no permissions to misuse either way.
- Nothing downloads at all. In-app browsers block APKs. Copy the link into Chrome, or tap ⋮ → "Open in Chrome". If Chrome still refuses, check Settings → Apps → Chrome → "Install unknown apps" is allowed.
- Accessibility switch keeps turning itself off. Some phones (Realme, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi) auto-revoke sideloaded accessibility services. Settings → Apps → ScrollStop → Battery → Unrestricted, and lock the app in recents. The app has no background service and no internet, so this is the only thing that can stop it.
If Play Protect hard-blocks it
"App blocked to protect your device"
That screen has only an OK button — no "Install anyway". It is not a virus verdict. Google's enhanced fraud protection (active in India and several other markets) hard-blocks apps downloaded through a browser, chat app or file manager when they declare accessibility, SMS or notification access. ScrollStop needs accessibility to see a Reel, so it hits that rule. Three ways through, easiest first.
1
Pause Play Protect scanning
Play Store → profile picture → Play Protect → gear icon → turn off Scan apps with Play Protect. Install the APK, then turn it back on. If it later warns about ScrollStop, choose Keep app. The APK asks for no permissions, so the scan has nothing to find.
2
Turn off Advanced Protection
On Android 16, Settings → Security & privacy → Advanced Protection. While it is on, every install from outside a store is blocked and Play Protect cannot be turned off. Turn it off (PIN required), install, then turn it back on.
3
Install through a shell
Google's rule only covers "internet-sideloading sources". A shell install is not one. With a PC: adb install ScrollStop-1.0.4.apk. Without a PC: install Shizuku from Play Store, start it with wireless debugging, then install the APK through Installer X (open source, GitHub).
Why not just remove the permission?
ScrollStop declares no runtime permissions and no internet. The one thing it needs is Android's accessibility service, because that is the only API that can see which screen is in front and press Back. Remove it and the app cannot block anything. That is why the block is a blanket rule about the permission, not a malware finding about this app.
Long term this goes away only if Google allowlists the app. The Play Protect appeal form is here — package dev.virat.scrollstop, signing certificate CN=ScrollStop. Appeals are reviewed in English.
Straight answers
What it can and can't do.
- It needs the accessibility service. That is the only Android API that lets an app know which screen is open. ScrollStop only listens inside the six apps you enable, and never reads text, messages or passwords.
- Detection is by view id. A big app update can rename the screen it looks for. When that happens it fails safe: it simply stops blocking, and it never closes an unrelated screen.
- Android 13+ may hide the switch. Sideloaded apps get "restricted settings". Fix: Settings → Apps → ScrollStop → ⋮ → Allow restricted settings.
- Android only. There is no iOS version, and there can't be one — iOS has no equivalent API.
Questions
Quick answers.
Is it really free?
Yes. No ads, no premium tier, no login, no trial. The APK is 53 KB and there is no server behind it to pay for.
Chrome will not download the file.
Chrome blocks APK downloads it does not recognise with "This type of file can harm your device" — tap Download anyway. If the page was opened inside Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp, those in-app browsers block APKs completely: tap ⋮ → Open in Chrome. Nothing on this site needs a login, so the file link works from any browser.
Why is it not on the Play Store?
A Play Store listing is the only way to install with Play Protect fully on — it needs a paid developer account and a review, and the app needs the same accessibility permission there. ScrollStop has no server, no account and no analytics, so sideloading keeps it free and keeps the app unable to talk to anything. The install section covers the Play Protect block honestly.
What data does it collect?
None. The APK has no internet permission, so there is no path for data to leave the phone. Your switches, action choice and block counters live in the app's own private storage and disappear when you uninstall. The full detail is in the privacy and data policy.
Can I install it with Play Protect on?
Not through a browser while Google's enhanced fraud protection is active: it hard-blocks any sideloaded app that declares an accessibility service, and no APK can code around a server-side block. The working paths are to pause Play Protect scanning for the install, turn off Advanced Protection on Android 16, or install through ADB/Shizuku — three steps here. After it is installed, Play Protect can stay on: the app has no internet permission and asks for nothing.
Play Protect says "App blocked to protect your device".
That is Google's enhanced fraud protection, not a virus detection. It hard-blocks apps from browsers that declare an accessibility service, and the screen only has an OK button. Three ways through: pause Play Protect scanning, turn off Advanced Protection, or install through ADB/Shizuku.
Play Protect says it is unsafe.
When the dialog has a More details button, tap it and then Install anyway — Play Protect flags every app it has never seen before. When it has only OK, it is the hard block above, not a malware result. The APK asks for no permissions at all, so nothing can be read either way.
Will it block WhatsApp Status?
No. WhatsApp is not in the app list, so ScrollStop never looks at it. Instagram Stories are left alone too. On the Instagram feed you get one scroll per visit; the Reels viewer itself is closed.
Why does it need accessibility?
Android gives no other way for an app to see which screen is in front. The service is limited to the apps you switch on, and the app has no internet permission, so nothing can be sent anywhere.
Does it drain the battery?
It sleeps until one of your chosen apps is in front. In other apps it does nothing at all.
What happens when I turn it off?
Everything goes back to normal instantly. There is no uninstall protection, no device admin, no lock.
Download ScrollStop
Version 1.0.4 · 53 KB · Android 8.0 and newer. Signed for sideloading, not published on the Play Store.
SHA-256 · C380B9D8F2DC4907542818B2BDF32C8981A50A86DE5A7D7A24D2B9FF9EE26601
Signing certificate SHA-256 · 1C650ED988F41592E6BBC1BCC60EDFD3263FE27D89989E60B0A9F7AFA662D7D9
Play Protect showing "App blocked"? The fix is here →
Size53 KB
Version1.0.4
Android8.0+
PermissionsNone
Ads / accountNone
InternetNot requested