Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature called Ad Breaks that brings short, 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 across Reddit forums have reported its arrival. According to forum posts, the move has horrified users as many are now considering exiting the platform and switching to alternative social media apps.
In an Instagram subreddit, user @notthatogwiththename announced the introduction of Ad Break, a feature that delivers unskippable ads to select users. The post is filled with numerous comments about its introduction without any prior information. “I came to post this because it’s not being talked about anywhere,” the user commented.
The move has reportedly left many users unhappy with the social media platform. One user commented below the post: “I thought I was on crazy pills for two days because this is happening to me right now and I couldn’t find any info anywhere but your recent post. Well thank you… and goodbye IG. I don’t need it.”
Instagram ad breaks
Photo credit: Reddit/notthatogwiththename
As seen in the screenshot, users are now served three to five seconds of ads while scrolling through the app, preventing them from browsing during that period. The user noted that they tried to provide feedback on the feature to Instagram, but “didn’t find anything.” According to users, there is no mention of ad breaks anywhere.
The introduction of ad breaks has made many users consider leaving the platform and switching to alternative social media apps, according to comments. One user said: “So far I just close the app as soon as the ad break comes up and if this continues I will unsubscribe.”
Another user complained that the company doesn’t do “any research on this before pushing it out to the public” because it disrupts user flow.
Appendices to the Notes
Instagram recently introduced new additions to Notes – a feature that allows users to share their thoughts with friends. With Notes Prompts, users will now see questions and thoughts posted when they enter Notes, and can post their own Notes in response to a question.
Furthermore, users can now quickly react to notes from their friends and followers using the Quick Likes feature. The last addition is the tagging feature where they can tag their friends using the ‘@’ symbol in front of their username.
