Instagram is experimenting with a feature that might actually improve the ad experience: a skip button. Meta confirmed it’s testing skippable ads in Reels, featuring a countdown timer and the option to bypass ads and jump straight back to your content.

If this feels familiar, that’s because YouTube’s been doing it for years, and it works. The question is whether what succeeds on a long-form video platform translates to the rapid-scroll world of short-form content.

The format is straightforward. As you’re scrolling through Reels, a countdown timer appears in the top-right corner signaling an incoming ad. Then the ad plays with a “skip” button that lets you bail out and return to the beginning of the Reel you were watching.

It’s a small UX tweak with potentially big implications. Instead of forcing viewers to sit through ads or frantically scroll past them (creating accidental engagement), Instagram is testing whether giving users control actually improves the experience and maybe even makes them more receptive to the ads they do watch.

YouTube’s skippable ad format has become the industry standard for a reason. It works for everyone. Advertisers get engagement data on who’s actually interested, viewers feel less trapped, and creators get a cut of the revenue. That last part is where Instagram’s test diverges. Meta confirmed it’s not sharing ad revenue with creators during this trial, unlike YouTube’s model where creators earn from ads on their content.

Meta is already running non-skippable “ad breaks,” introduced last year, the kind that force you to watch before continuing. Those ads command premium pricing because they guarantee full viewership, but they’re also the digital equivalent of being held hostage.

Skippable ads are a different value proposition. They’re about gathering engagement signals: who skips immediately, who watches through, and which ads actually capture attention.

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