If you're on TikTok, there's a good chance your scrolling will eventually lead you to their "Everything Is Under Control" video series. The gist is that once you've been on the app for a certain amount of time, a video will appear on your feed with the general message: "You've been scrolling too long." Users are then often encouraged to go get some food and water , go out, or, if it's late at night, go to bed. While this may be a sobering surprise, it's intended to make us aware of our screen time and give us the option to log out when we're using an app for longer than expected. If you don't use TikTok, or don't spend enough time on the app to get these notifications, you might be happy (or filled with horror) to know that a similar feature is now coming to Instagram. The app's "Take a Break" setting will be available to all users in the US, UK, Australia and Canada starting on December 7th.
On November 10, Instagram announced the launch of the “Take a Break” feature as a test for some users. Instagram head Adam Mosseri describes the feature as "doing what you think it does," meaning it prompts users to take a step back from their phone every now and then. At the time, Mosseri made it clear that the intention was to roll out the feature more broadly once testing was complete.
How does taking a break work on Instagram?
In this short video, Mosseri describes the functionality of Take a Break and provides some sample frameworks showing how the feature will look on Instagram. Once users choose to take a break, they can choose the interval at which they are reminded to take a break away from the platform. After 10, 20 or 30 minutes of using the app, users will receive a "Take a Break" notification with prompts encouraging them to take deep breaths, journal, listen to music, and more.
How to use "Take a Break" on Instagram?
According to the blog post, Instagram is particularly keen on teenage users opting into the "Take a Break" feature and will send notifications encouraging them to turn on the setting. "Early test results show that once teens set a reminder, more than 90 percent continue to use it," the blog post reads.
Still, anyone who wants to get rid of mindless scrolling can benefit from this feature. To enable Take a Break, open the Instagram app, go to your profile tab, and click on the menu in the upper right corner of the screen. (Its icon is three horizontal lines.) From there, go to "Activities" and click "Time." You'll see the option to "Set a break reminder." Click this button and select the time interval you want to be reminded to leave the screen. Click Set Reminder, click OK, and you’re one step closer to building a more mindful relationship with technology. Congratulations!
Why don’t I take a break from Instagram?
Take a Break is generally available, which means it's available to all users in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. If you're in one of these countries and can't find the option to enable "Take a Break" in your settings, it's probably because your Instagram app needs an update. Head to the app store and check if an update is available. This should keep your Instagram updated with all its new features. If you still can't find Take a Break on Instagram after updating, there's always the age-old troubleshooting method of deleting and re-downloading your app.
Mosseri said the feature is "part of a broader effort to give people more control over their Instagram experience," suggesting we may see similar screen time and health-oriented features roll out in the future. "Ultimately, you know what works best for you when it comes to how to use the app, and we want to make sure we give you the tools to shape Instagram the way it works for you."
So whether you're looking to commit to a digital detox in the new year or just want to be more mindful of the time you spend scrolling, there are plenty of essential tools like "Take a Break" that are likely to be on the 'gram. Next to you.
