Instagram nudges users to use the app more, removes lower daily limit options aimed at helping users limit their usage

Meta-owned photo-sharing platform Instagram reportedly appears to have quietly removed the ability for mobile users to set a lower daily time limit reminder than 30 minutes.

Indeed, the app's UX design nudges people to choose a three hour 'limit', TechCrunch reported on Monday.

This daily time limit setting pops up a notification to the user once their app activity hits their preferred limit, reminding them to be conscious of how much time they are spending on the app -- and maybe making it easier for them to choose to quit out of the app voluntarily.

Previously the company supported a user-defined limit for Instagram that could be as low as 15 minutes, or even 10 minutes, per day, when it was making a big PR push to suggest that more 'mindful' usage of its services was possible, as concern over social media addiction surged.

But it seems the attention-loving adtech giant now wants Instagram users to spend longer eyeballing content feeds on the platform where it can cash in by targeting them with ads, the report said.

TechCrunch was alerted to the Instagram settings change by a tipster who shared screenshots of their account which show the company nudging them to "set a new value for your daily limit" because, as it puts it, "the available daily limits are changing as part of an app update".

“We have two time management features. Our existing ‘daily limit’ shows you a notification when you’ve hit your daily limit, but our newest feature ‘Take A Break’ shows you full-screen reminders to leave the app, and includes 10 minute intervals. We changed the ‘daily limit’ options to avoid sending people multiple notifications at the same time.” - a Meta spokesperson

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