Instagram is testing new feature that people are saying will make them delete the app for good

Instagram is reportedly testing a new feature and users are already absolutely furious.

Some apps specialize in just one kind of media, centring that in how they are designed and laid out.

For X it's microblogging, TikTok is short form videos while YouTube is longer videos, and Facebook is for pumping out AI images in the thousands.

Instagram, however, has a little of all of those things, as well as an increasing number of adverts to shove into the faces of audiences as they doom scroll.

You could be forgiven for thinking that many social media platforms, not just Instagram, are more advert than content now, especially taking into account sponsored posts which bring in advertising by stealth.

But now one person has noticed that there's a new feature on the platform which has users threatening to leave.

And yes, this is focussed around how advertising is presented on the platforms.

So, how does it work?

People were up in arms about the new feature. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Anyone who has been on YouTube is familiar with the exasperating ad brea at the start of every video.

One might be skippable after five seconds, then the double ad was brought in with one not being skippable.

While Instagram's format makes this not viable in the same way that it is on YouTube, the new feature reportedly adapts this for Instagram's model.

It's an 'unskippable' ad, but in a different format.

Rather than being at the start of a video, the unskippable element is a part of the scrolling.

Essentially when you hit one of these adverts you will be prevented from scrolling on until a certain amount of time has passed.

So similar to YouTube, you will be 'forced' to watch the ad until it moves on, unless you put down your phone or deliberately mute it and look away out of spite.

Many people threatened to leave the platform. (Tim Robberts / Getty)

Then you can continue with your doom scrolling undisturbed, for a while.

Needless to say the reported new feature has gone down about as well as fois gras at an animal rights protest.

People took to social media to share their thoughts.

One person wrote how it was reflective of a general downward trend, writing: "Social media apps fighting how to make the worst app possible challenge."

Another joked: "Instagram and YouTube are basically ads with some content."

And a third commented: "Thats when i uninstall the app", while another wrote: "We need to stop using instagram now."

A spokesperson for Meta told UNILAD: “We’re always testing formats that can drive value for advertisers. As we test and learn, we will provide updates should this test result in any formal product changes.”

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