MANILA, Philippines – Meta Platforms’ Instagram confirmed it was testing an advertisement type that would prevent users from scrolling through their feed for a time, making the ad unskippable.

The confirmation was first reported by TechCrunch after screenshots of the in-testing feature started making rounds on social media.

The unskippable ad break will display a countdown timer when it’s active, and users would not be allowed to scroll past the ad while the timer ticks down.

Instagram app user Dan Levy posted screenshots of the test on X. In one instance, Levy clicked to get more information on the ad, and the information panel called the ad break “a new way of seeing ads on Instagram. Sometimes you may need to view an ad before you can keep browsing.”

Confirming the social media reports, a Meta company spokesperson said in the TechCrunch report, “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,” the spokesperson added. – Rappler.com