Instagram Releases New "Take a Break" Feature in Hopes That We'll Actually Start Doing Things With Our Lives

In November 2021, Instagram began testing out a new tool that I'm sure none of us want to use, but in actuality, all of us should be using. Known as "Take a Break," this feature was designed to send users reminders when they’ve spent way too much time on the platform.

Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, explained in a tweet that "this opt-in control enables you to receive break reminders in-app after a duration of your choosing."

Now, after a successful trial run, Instagram has finally rolled out the feature to everyone.

So, are you interested in taking a break and limiting your time on the platform? Please, don't all jump at once! Keep reading to learn how to set up the "Take a Break" feature on Instagram.

If you're considering setting up these in-app reminders, you first want to first head to "Your Activity." To get there, open Instagram and tap on the profile picture in the bottom-right corner. Once you've landed on your profile, tap the hamburger icon (the three stacked lines) at the top-right corner of the page. Now, select "Your Activity."

Underneath the "Time" tab, you should see a brutally honest graph that details your daily average time spent on the app. Below the graph, you should also see a "Manage Your Time" section with three options to choose from:

• Set reminder to take breaks
• Set daily time limit
• Notification settings

Here's where you can begin to make some moves, my friends.

To limit how long you're active on the app at one time, tap "Set reminder to take breaks." You can choose to have a reminder pop up once you've spent 10, 20, or 30 minutes at once on Instagram. Select a duration of time, tap "Done," and voila, your reminders should be all set up.

You can also set a daily time limit on Instagram, which will keep track of how long you use the app over the course of a day.

To do this, return to the "Time" tab and select "Set daily time limit." From there, you can choose 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or 3 hours. After setting this up, Instagram will remind you to close the app if you reach your chosen limit for the day.

So, there you have it! That's how to limit your time on Instagram.

Will "Take a Break" actually work? It's hard to say as these reminders can easily be dismissed and only really exist to give you a heads-up on your usage. For some folks, that just might not be a good enough reason to close the app.