What is this feature being tested by Instagram that has users leaving the platform?

As a result, Meta has been looking at other forms of monetization including subscriptions, in-app purchases, and now Ad Breaks. When an Instagram user sees an Ad Break, it might be prefaced by a page giving an explanation of what it is. This page says, “You’re seeing an ad break. Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing.”

One Reddit user wrote, “I hate this new “feature” so much – it is so in your face and to me, feels like a terrible business decision. The whole platform is already basically “soft ads” that generate revenue based on people being on there for ages, consuming content without thinking too much about it all and now they’re forcing users to stop scrolling and drawing attention to the fact they’re on an app designed to sell them things. So far I simply close the app as soon as an ad break pops up and if this continues, I’ll be unsubscribing.”

It’s possible that you haven’t had your Instagram experience interrupted yet by Ad Breaks, and if Meta decides not to implement the feature, you might never see it. But if you have had your browsing interrupted by it, you now know exactly what an Ad Break is.