Show HN: Dull – Instagram Without Reels, YouTube Without Shorts (iOS)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Concept & Features

  • Dull is an iOS web-wrapper/browser intended to give “old-school” Instagram/YouTube/Facebook usage without Reels/Shorts/feeds and with added controls.
  • Beyond filtering UI elements, it adds app-level features: time limits, usage tracking, quiet hours, grayscale mode, “open with intention” (e.g., jump straight to DMs), and limiting which tabs you see.

Browser Extension vs Separate App

  • Some argue this should just be a Safari (or other browser) extension: users already have a browser, and mobile browsers now support extensions in some cases.
  • The counterpoint: many people use Instagram via the native app, not Safari, and Dull’s time/behavior controls need to live at the app level, not only as a content filter.

Legal, Policy & Longevity Concerns

  • Several commenters see selling a paid interface to Instagram/YouTube as risky because of past takedowns of similar third-party clients.
  • Concerns include ToS violations, potential blocking via technical means (user agents, patterns) and non-technical means (legal threats, store pressure).
  • The developer acknowledges uncertainty about long-term viability and frames subscriptions as “pay while it works”; lifetime is presented as a personal bet, which others consider misleading or legally questionable.

Pricing Model & Value

  • Strong pushback on paying, especially subscriptions, for something seen as a PWA-plus-filters when ad-blockers and extensions do similar things for free.
  • Others argue subscription is more honest for a product that needs ongoing maintenance due to cat-and-mouse changes by platforms.
  • “Lifetime” offers are widely viewed as suspect in this context, though some users request them due to subscription fatigue.

Alternatives & Platform Differences

  • Desktop: uBlock Origin filters, News Feed Eradicator, Unhook, and simple URL parameters for chronological feeds are cited as free, effective options.
  • Mobile/Android: YouTube ReVanced/Vanced, DFInstagram, IGPlus, ScrollGuard, Brave’s distractions toggles, UnTrap for YouTube, Firefox extensions.
  • Some rely on web versions or Beeper to access messaging/marketplace while avoiding feeds.

Attention, Ethics & Use Cases

  • Many see Dull as “a slightly healthier cigarette”: it mitigates dark patterns but doesn’t solve underlying attention issues.
  • Some advocate quitting social apps entirely; others say that’s unrealistic due to social and business needs (DMs, portfolios, events, Marketplace, groups, kids’ screen-time control).

Other Notes

  • Mixed reception on UX: one user criticizes a “dark pattern” subscription prompt on install.
  • Broader lament about the shift from open, extensible desktop web to locked-down mobile app ecosystems.