Instagram is testing a feature that allows users to set up timed reminders to take a break from the app.
The test began this week with hopes that it can be fully rolled out in December, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri shared. The feature enables users to choose a set amount of time after which the app will remind you to take a break.
The change represents an effort to address public concerns following the release of internal documents from Instagram’s parent company Meta that demonstrated awareness of how the app is addictive and its negative impact on teenage girls. The rollout ‘Take a Break’ feature was cited by Meta’s Global Director of Safety Antigone Davis as a way the app was working to protect users’ mental health during a senate committee hearing in September.
“This, by the way, is part of a broader effort to try and give people more control over their experience of Instagram,” Mosseri said. “Ultimately, you know what’s best for you when it comes to how you use the app, and we want to make sure we provide tools for you to shape Instagram into what works for you.”