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How-to4 min read

How to Hide Facebook Reels and Stories

Facebook offers no native setting to hide the Reels tab or the Stories tray, since both are fixed navigation elements rather than optional feed content, so removing them requires a browser extension acting on the web version of Facebook, which also leaves the rest of the feed working normally.

Facebook's Reels tab and Stories tray sit in fixed positions, one in the bottom navigation, one at the top of the feed, with no setting in the app that turns off either. This is what that looks like day to day, and what it takes to remove them without blocking Facebook outright.

Two fixed surfaces, no off switch for either

Open Facebook and two things are guaranteed to be there: the Reels tab in the bottom navigation, and a row of Stories across the top of the feed. Neither is optional. There's no settings page that removes the tab, and no preference that drops the tray. The closest official option is choosing not to tap into either, which does nothing to the fact that they're still there on every launch.

Reels also isn't confined to its own tab. Individual Reels cards get mixed directly into the main feed, the same way Instagram's do, so avoiding the tab doesn't fully avoid the format.

Why Facebook doesn't split this out

Unlike a settings menu with granular toggles, Facebook treats Reels and Stories as core navigation, not optional features with an on/off switch. That's a deliberate design choice, not an oversight. Both surfaces are built to be encountered passively, not opted into, which is exactly why there's no setting for opting back out.

What's left: the web version

Facebook's web version renders the same feed, the same Reels cards, and the same Stories tray, which means the same mechanism that works elsewhere in this library applies here too. A Safari extension can suppress both before they render:

  • The Reels tab and in-feed Reels cards are hidden, not just deprioritized.
  • The Stories tray is removed from the top of the feed, leaving posts as the first thing you see.

Making it stick

A guided iOS Shortcut that redirects the Facebook app icon to the web version means you land on the cleaned-up feed automatically, without remembering to open a browser instead of the app.

That's DoomOff's Facebook toggle set: Reels and Stories gone individually, with the option to block Facebook entirely still sitting right next to it for anyone who wants that instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can I turn off Reels on Facebook?
Not through a setting. The Reels tab stays in the bottom navigation regardless of how often you use it, and Reels cards continue to appear mixed into the main feed alongside posts from friends and pages.
Is there a way to hide the Stories tray on Facebook?
No official one. The Stories tray sits at the top of the feed by default with no menu option to remove it, only to change whose stories are highlighted within it.
Do I have to block Facebook entirely to get rid of Reels and Stories?
No. A full block is still an option for people who want Facebook gone completely, but hiding Reels and Stories individually is a separate, narrower toggle that leaves the rest of the app, including messages and the main feed, working as normal.