Instagram is experimenting with “ad breaks,” which require you to pause your scrolling and spend a moment seeing an advertisement.
Ad breaks are being tested, according to Instagram representative Matthew Tye, after many X and Reddit users reported seeing the feature.
If any official product changes arise from this test, Instagram will “provide updates,” according to Tye.
According to instructional material shown on the app, these new ad breaks will display a countdown metre that prevents users from viewing other content on the app until they view the ad.
With this modification, experts noted that the social network would resemble YouTube’s free version more—which forces viewers to watch advertisements both before and during content.
It seems natural that Instagram would think about taking this approach as well, since the social media platform has evolved to become more of a venue for sharing videos rather than just still images, owing to features like Stories and Reels.
“Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing,” according to a user on Reddit, tapping the icon for more information revealed the message.
“We’re always testing formats that can drive value for advertisers,” Instagram’s spokesperson added.
Unfortunately, many impacted users have expressed dissatisfaction with the new feature, stating that they would cancel their accounts on the network if the commercial breaks were made permanent.
Instagram users who were impacted by this feature reportedly complained that they couldn’t scroll through stories and posts any further until they saw an advertisement.
Whether Instagram will make the ad break feature available to all users is still up in the air.
We earlier reported that the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, announced that it is looking into the possibility that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram accounts could have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA).