Instagram is testing “ad breaks” that force you to pause and watch an ad for a while before continuing to scroll. Some X and Reddit Users reported seeing the feature, and Instagram spokesperson Matthew Tye confirmed it The Verge ad breaks are being tested. Tye said Instagram “will provide updates if any official product changes result from this testing.”
A Redditor noticed this feature while scrolling through stories and posts. After a certain amount of scrolling, Instagram prevented them from going any further until they saw an ad. As the screenshot shows, Instagram displays an “ad break” icon with a countdown timer showing how long you can start scrolling again.
When the user tapped the icon for more information about the feature, Instagram displayed a message that read: “Ad breaks are a new way to see ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to watch an ad before continuing.”
Instagram now displays sponsored posts and ads across the content you scroll through, whether it’s your home feed or reel. But keeping impenetrable content between posts takes it to another level and seems pretty disruptive. “We’re always testing formats that can bring value to advertisers,” says Tye.
Apart from Instagram, YouTube also shows non-skippable ads before and during videos. It even expanded its non-skippable, 30-second commercials to its TV program last year. Both YouTube and TikTok place ads between their short videos, but you can still skip them.