Every time Meta takes a step forward with one of its apps, it quickly takes a monumental leap backwards. Case in point – Instagram’s Time Spent feature.

This feature – which isn’t easy to find save for searching for it – allows users to set a time limit for how long they use Instagram during one session. While this is good, it seems Instagram is pushing users to use its app for longer stretches of time.

That’s thanks to a change in the daily time limit figures which has seemingly removed low time limits including the 10 minute and 15 minute intervals.

A user who spoke with TechCrunch said that they had set a 10 minute daily limit for Instagram, but that option will no longer be available as “the available daily limits are changing as part of an app update” according to an update they were sent.

Screenshots shared by the user with the publication show that the 10 minute time limit they set is “no longer supported” and needs to be changed.

Of course, there is nothing stopping the user from simply not changing the value but as TechCrunch points out, Instagram uses dark patterns and the age old strategy of nagging to exhaust users until they fold.

Meta did respond to this report stating that the 10 minute interval from its daily time limit was being removed in favour of something called Take A Break which does have a 10 minute interval.

“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,” Meta explained to TechCrunch.

The big problem here is Instagram making moves without considering the impact this has on users. As TechCrunch rightly points out, users who had previously set a 10 minute time limit are likely being inundated with notifications now to change their settings while they wait for this Take A Break feature which isn’t live yet.

It’s painfully apparent that Instagram wants to serve more ads and it needs its users to spend more time on the platform to do that. With Meta scrambling following a disastrous Q3 2021, we expect more moves like this from the shadows of Meta as the firm tries to get existing users to stay on its platform for longer.