- Meta has confirmed that it is testing non-skippable ads in Instagram feeds
- Users are furious with the changes with some threatening to delete the app
Seeing ads on your social media feed is already annoying enough, but for Instagram users, the experience could soon become even more frustrating.
Meta has confirmed that it is now testing a feature that introduces stealth ads to users’ Instagram feeds.
When encountered, these ads display a timer and prevent the user from scrolling until the full time has passed, similar to YouTube.
The feature, which Instagram calls ‘ad break’, was first noticed over the weekend by a user who called the change ‘annoying’.
And on social media, many angry Instagram users are already threatening to quit the social media platform entirely if the change is made permanent.
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A number of Instagram users have reported seeing unskippable ad interruptions appearing in their news feed.
According to users, the ads last up to 10 seconds and prevent scrolling for that entire duration.
Clicking on the info button in the ad displays a message from Instagram that reads: “You are viewing an ad break.”
The message continues: “Ad breaks are a new way to see ads on Instagram.
‘Sometimes you may need to view an ad before continuing to browse.’
Meta has already confirmed that this is a test for a new ad format which currently appears to be affecting a small number of users.
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A spokesperson for Meta told MailOnline: “We are always testing formats that can bring value to advertisers.
“As we test and learn, we will provide updates if this testing results in any formal product changes.”
Meta’s statement suggests that the change may not roll out to all users, but the test has already sparked outrage.
One commenter on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: “They should know it’s an app killer.”
Another wrote that the ad breaks would be ‘their announcements to get rid of Instagram’, while another asked: ‘So they want to break the app?’
Some outraged Instagram users have even threatened to stop using the social media platform forever if the unskippable ads go viral.
“I swear, if this becomes true I will delete my account,” wrote one, while another responded simply by writing: “I will delete the app.”
Another wrote: ‘Introducing unskippable ad breaks on Instagram? An app that has already become a giant advertisement because of influencers? We just won’t budge.’
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If the change becomes permanent, it would make Instagram closer to the free version of YouTube, which shows users invisible ads in videos.
However, unlike YouTube, most Instagram users currently do not have the option to pay to remove ads from their experience.
The exception is in the EU where users can pay €9.99 (£8.51) per month to remove ads from Meta products.
Many social media users speculated that the introduction of non-skippable ads could be a precursor to a wider rollout of a paid ad-free tier, similar to video streaming giants like YouTube, Disney+ and Netflix.
One commenter on X wrote: ‘I smell the “ad-free” meta subscriptions coming.’
While another wrote: ‘Lol its actually a way to create a more expensive ad tier.
“Not a bad attempt to spin it to make the Meta look like they care about us.”