Instagram seemingly ramps up unskippable ads test with Ad Break timer

Instagram has always had promotional Reels and completely skippable ads. Recently, the company has seemingly been testing more unskippable ad formats on the platform, as per posts on Reddit and X. Instead of ads for companies made by creators (presented as Reels), or Reels that are marked as promotional material, some users are now seeing unskippable ads with a timer.

It’s worth noting that Instagram has been testing ads like this since 2024. The rollout was never publicly announced through official channels, and it’s likely still under testing. I don’t see such unskippable ad segments with a timer on my Instagram accounts, so I don’t think it’s a widespread rollout.

A post from Vedant G. on X notes that a timer first appears at the top while you’re watching a Reel. The text says “Ad starts in…” followed by the number of seconds. The ad will either show up during the Reel (if it’s a fairly long one) or after the Reel. The person who posted this also commented that “Instagram is pushing ads down our throats,” and that sums up the public reaction to these tests.

The Reel also disappears if you scroll to the comments. It doesn’t show up as the default ad format, and it’s only on some occasional Reels. Interestingly, those who have selected “Less personalized ads” as a choice are apparently the ones getting these Ad Breaks, as highlighted by a screenshot shared by @huekaizzn on X.

There are posts from 2024 as well, and the feature was called “Ad Breaks.” Instagram calls it a “new way” of viewing ads on the platform. Sometimes, you need to watch the entire ad before you can watch the Reel. Unfortunately, Instagram might even apply it to the main posts feed, so you’ll need to watch ads before you browse through posts. That would be very annoying.

More recent reports from a few days ago indeed confirm that the “Ad Break” appears even when viewing stories, or randomly in your feed. Your only option is to wait until the ad completes, or leave the For You feed/Story that you’re viewing. Otherwise, you can exit and reopen the entire app.

A few people from Switzerland comment that they’re unable to swipe ads away, and there’s a timer. The user expresses frustration, calling it “The last straw.” We can assume it’s not region-specific, and the testing appears global, since the reports are from various countries.

Again, Instagram didn’t officially announce that “Ad Breaks” is now a global feature that’s rolling out to everyone. It’s still under testing, and after evaluation of reactions, they might decide whether to include it in a broader rollout.

In other Instagram news, you can now add GIFs to Notes. We’ve covered how you can do that here. It’s not just Instagram that’s going aggressive on advertisements; YouTube was recently found testing 90-second unskippable ads on TV.

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