Instagram brings changes to Daily Time limit feature

In an attempt to avoid sending multiple notifications at once, Meta-owned Instagram on Tuesday changed its ‘daily time limit’ option.

Using this daily time limit feature, the user gets a pop-up alert once their app activity reaches their pre-defined time limit, encouraging them to be mindful of how long they are spending with their devices and encouraging them to choose to exit the app.

“We have two time management features. Our existing ‘daily limit’ shows you a notification when you have 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,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.

“We changed the ‘daily limit’ options to avoid sending people multiple notifications at the same time,” the spokesperson added.

However, it seems that the platform’s parent company Meta wants Instagram users to spend more time on the platform, so it can cash in by targeting them with ads. This, as speculations suggest, could be a result of pressure from the business side, given the sudden plunge in share value reported in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings earlier this month.

To monitor how many hours you’ve spent on the app, visit Settings > Account > Your activity. Furthermore, users can schedule reminders to take a break at set intervals or sign off after a specific amount of time. While it is possible to retain an existing sub-30-minute time limit, the user can easily be coaxed into pushing their daily limit to a higher threshold.