Instagram's New 'Ad Break' Feature in the Testing Phase
California: The photo-sharing application Instagram is testing a new feature called 'Ad Break', which will interrupt users' scrolling to display an advertisement.
Confirmation from the Meta Spokesperson
Matthew Tie, a spokesperson for the Meta subsidiary platform, confirmed the news about the feature's testing. He stated that the company would provide updates on whether the testing results should lead to any changes in the app.
User discovery on Reddit
A user on the social media platform Reddit identified the feature being tested while scrolling on Instagram. The Reddit post revealed that after a certain duration of scrolling, Instagram stops users and displays an advertisement, after which the scrolling can resume.
Countdown Timer for Ad Breaks
The provided screenshot shows that Instagram presents the Ad Break with a countdown timer, indicating how long the user has to wait before they can start scrolling again.
Current Advertisement Practices on Instagram
It is important to note that sponsored posts are already appearing between content on Instagram. However, the unavoidable ads in the middle of posts are expected to further disrupt the scrolling experience.