ShieldBrain FAQ

ShieldBrain is a free Android app that counts and blocks short-form video.

It tracks every Instagram Reel, YouTube Short, TikTok, Facebook Reel and Snapchat Spotlight video you scroll through, and — when you're ready — blocks those feeds without blocking the apps themselves. It's built for anyone trying to quit doomscrolling: students, professionals, parents and dopamine-detoxers.

Learn more about ShieldBrain →

It counts automatically, on-device, with no setup beyond one permission.

Using Android's Accessibility Service, ShieldBrain recognises when a short-video feed is on screen and counts each video you swipe to. You get a live daily count with estimated minutes ("38 reels ≈ 49 minutes"), a per-app breakdown, weekly and monthly trends, and lifetime totals.

Learn more: How many reels do you watch a day? →

It blocks the feed the instant it opens — and only the feed.

With blocking enabled for a platform, opening its Reels/Shorts/Spotlight surface shows a block screen instead of the videos. DMs, chats, stories, search, subscriptions and normal videos keep working. Each platform is an individual toggle, so your rules stay yours.

Learn more: Block Instagram Reels without deleting Instagram →

Five platforms, for both counting and blocking: Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Facebook Reels and Snapchat Spotlight.

Guides: YouTube Shorts · Instagram Reels · TikTok · Facebook Reels & Snapchat Spotlight

No — that's the point. Whole-app blockers fail because you need the apps for messages and search, so you disable them. ShieldBrain removes only the infinite-scroll trap and leaves everything useful intact, which makes the block sustainable.

Your weekly scrolling grade, shareable as an image.

Every week Brainy grades you (A+ down), with total reels scrolled, estimated life spent, and your cleanest and heaviest days. Sharing it with a friend adds the accountability that habit research says roughly doubles success rates.

It's the only reliable way on Android to know a short-video feed is on screen.

ShieldBrain uses the Accessibility Service strictly to recognise Reels/Shorts/TikTok/Spotlight surfaces, count your swipes and show the block screen. It is not used to read messages, passwords or any other content, and nothing it sees ever leaves your phone.

No. Nothing leaves your phone. Ever.

No account, no sign-up, no cloud sync, no tracking ads. All counting and blocking runs 100% on-device. Uninstalling the app removes everything.

Battery impact is minimal. ShieldBrain reacts only to screen changes in the five supported apps and performs no background networking — there is no server to talk to.

Yes — free to download on Google Play.

No, Android only. ShieldBrain depends on Android's Accessibility Service to detect and block feeds; iOS has no equivalent mechanism for third-party apps.

ShieldBrain is currently in closed testing and launches publicly on Google Play in late July 2026.

ShieldBrain is developed by LunarForge Labs, an independent Android developer. Contact: shieldbrain.app@gmail.com.

Yes, any time. Every platform's block is an individual toggle, and "Pause counting" lets you take a break for a duration you choose. ShieldBrain is a tool you control — not a warden.

Count for 3–7 days first if you can. A concrete baseline ("482 reels today") turns the block from a restriction into a relief, and gives your Trends chart a dramatic before/after. If you're already sure, block on day one.

Learn more: How to stop doomscrolling →

Yes, practically. Parents use ShieldBrain to switch off short-video feeds on a child's Android phone while keeping chat and school apps working. Because only the feed disappears, it causes far less conflict than removing apps entirely.

Learn more: Reduce screen time on Android →