TechCrunch has reported that Instagram has removed the minimum daily limit options which will force users to set a new limit of 30 minutes or more. The decision by the company comes just weeks after Meta reported that it had begun losing daily users for the first time in history.
Prior to the latest update, users were able to select 15 minute daily limits but if you check out the setting now, the minimum time you can choose is 30 minutes. Other options include 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, or Off. By keeping people looking at their feeds for an extra 15 minutes, Instagram can show users more ads and boost profits a bit more.
When Meta launched the time control features on Instagram and Facebook, it said:
“It’s not just about the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram but how they spend that time. It’s our responsibility to talk openly about how time online impacts people — and we take that responsibility seriously. These new tools are an important first step, and we are committed to continuing our work to foster safe, kind and supportive communities for everyone.”
Given Facebook’s recent decline in users, pushing the lower time limit up to 30 minutes a day isn’t too unreasonable a trade-off. It will be interesting to see whether it makes similar changes to other features that are designed to limit addiction to Instagram and other Meta services. If you want to set daily limits in your Instagram app you can do so following the Android or iOS instructions.