In a move to make Instagram more attractive to advertisers, Meta is testing a new feature called “ad breaks” on its social media platform. This feature will introduce unskippable advertisements that users must watch before they can continue scrolling through their content feed.
The ad breaks will appear after a certain number of posts, pausing the user’s feed until the ad has been fully viewed. It is currently unclear whether this change will also apply to reels or stories, and Meta has not specified if the feature will be rolled out globally.
The new feature was first reported by users on X and Reddit and has been confirmed by Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye to The Verge. Tye stated that Instagram would “provide updates should this test result in any formal product changes.”
A screenshot shared by Reddit users shows a timer on the screen indicating the remaining duration of the ad. When the icon is tapped for more information, Instagram explains that this is a new ad viewing method requiring occasional ad views before continuing to browse.
While Instagram already displays ads and sponsored posts that can be skipped, this new feature will align it more closely with YouTube’s free version, which also features unskippable ads. Unlike TikTok, which allows users to swipe past ads, Instagram’s new feature will require users to watch the entire ad, with the exception of users in Europe who have the option to remove ads.
