Meta, the company behind Instagram, is exploring a new kind of advertisement format on its platform, referred to as “ad breaks.” According to a new report, these non-skippable ads are currently being tested in Instagram feeds.
Some users have already noticed these ads. Unlike current formats, you cannot scroll past these feed ads until the “ad break” is complete. Screenshots shared on X and Reddit suggest these breaks last only a few seconds.
As of writing, it remains uncertain if this duration will change if Meta decides to officially adopt this format. An in-app notification explains, “Ad breaks are a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing.”
Non-skippable video ads are not new to digital platforms. YouTube, for instance, has been using them for quite some time. However, this approach is more aggressive for Instagram. It’s also noteworthy that Meta is testing these ads in the main feed rather than in Reels or Stories, where video ads are currently skippable.
Meta has not yet provided an official comment on this development. However, the company did confirm to TechCrunch that it is experimenting with this new ad format.