Instagram is reportedly testing a feature for 5-second, non-skippable ad breaks
Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature called Ad Breaks that will bring short but non-skippable ads, according to recent claims on Reddit. The Meta-owned photo-sharing platform hasn’t officially revealed any details about the test, but users on Reddit forums have been reporting on its arrival. According to forum posts, the move has left users upset, with many now considering leaving the platform and switching to alternative social media apps.
In the Instagram subreddit, user @notthatogwiththename Posted about the introduction of Ad Break, a feature that delivers unskippable ads to certain users. The post was filled with multiple comments about its introduction without any prior information. “I came here to post this because this is not being talked about anywhere,” one user commented.
The move has reportedly left many users unhappy with the social media platform. One user commented on the post, “I thought I was on some crazy pills for 2 days because this is happening to me now and I couldn’t find any info anywhere other than your recent post. So thank you… and goodbye IG. I don’t need that.”
As seen in the screenshot, users are now presented with three to five second ads while scrolling in the app, preventing them from browsing during that period. A user marked that they tried to give Instagram feedback on this feature, but “found nothing.” There was no mention of ad breaks anywhere, users said.
The introduction of Ad Breaks has led many users to consider leaving the platform and switching to alternative social media apps, according to comments. One user said: “So far I just close the app whenever an ad break appears and if it continues I will unsubscribe.”
Another user complained about the fact that the company “did not do any research before announcing this to the public” because it disrupts user flow.
Additions to notes
Instagram recently unveiled new additions to Notes – a feature that allows users to share their thoughts with friends. With Notes Prompts, users will now see questions and musings posted when they open Notes, and they can post their Notes in response to the prompt.
Additionally, users can now quickly reply to their friends and followers’ notes with the Quick Likes feature. The latest addition is the tagging feature that allows them to tag their friends with the ‘@’ symbol in front of their username.