Instagram is taking a page out of YouTube’s playbook, rolling out a new type of unskippable ad format called “Ad Break.”

Users have taken to social media platforms to complain of unskippable ads in their Instagram feeds.

On Reddit, users were equally angered by the change.

“Coming soon for everyone. This’ll be the last straw for me when it comes to Instagram,” wrote a user called notthatogwiththename. “I could stand the plethora of ads sprinkled throughout the entire app already, but unskippable?”

Another user agreed it was a bridge too far, saying the platform is already largely soft ads.

“I hate this new “feature” so much – it is so in your face and to me, feels like a terrible business decision,” wrote the-s-is-for-sucks.” “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. If enough users don’t like this and also limit their instagram usage, this move will just cannibalize some/most of the massive revenue they earn from the (previously) mindless scroll.

“I tried to find a place to provide feedback to instagram and have found nothing – and frankly, haven’t even seen a mention of this happening anywhere – so I’m hoping someone from Meta browses forums like this to get customer thoughts if they remotely care and can stop this rollout from continuing if they see enough negative feedback. Instagram is a social media site where many keep in touch with old friends and some/likely many follow influencers they like (who earn Instagram lots of money) – can we please chill on the end stage capitalism of it all?”

With platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon growing in popularity, it will be interesting to see if Instagram’s new “feature” drives users away in any appreciable numbers.