Instagram has quietly increased the minimum daily usage time limit to 30 minutes from the earlier 5 minutes. This update has been secretly rolled out without any official announcement. According to a report by TechCrunch, Instagram users could very well set the app daily time limit as low as five minutes a day. This option is no longer available and the new option has a minimum time limit of 30 minutes which can be extended to 3 hours.
What Is the Time-Limit Feature Of Instagram?
The time limit function keeps track of how many minutes a user spends on the app each day and notifies you when you’ve reached your chosen limit. Earlier the minimum time limit that the user could set was 5 minutes. The current options include 30,45, 60, 120 and 180 minutes.
TechCrunch states that it received screenshots by an Instagram user who had set a 10-minute daily limit. However, the user started receiving popup notifications encouraging them to set a new daily limit value within 30 minutes to 3 hours. Currently, the notification allows the user to retain the preset time limit of 30 minutes but the user feels it won’t be for long. An additional popup also appears sometimes that states that the 10-minute value is “no longer supported” and urges the user to tap on the Edit button and select the daily time limit from the new values set.
Why Do You Think Instagram Rolled Out This Change?
This option was introduced in 2018 to ensure that Instagram users spent their time wisely on the app. However, the shift suggests that Instagram is more concerned with users not spending enough time on the platform than with ensuring that their time is properly spent.
This daily time restriction setting sends a message to the user when their app activity reaches the set limit, reminding them to be mindful of how much time they spend on the app — and possibly making it easier for them to choose to quit voluntarily.
However, it appears that the attention-hungry adtech behemoth now wants Instagram users to spend more time scrolling through content streams on the photo- and video-sharing platform so that it can target them with adverts.
How To Limit Instagram Usage on Your Android Smartphone
Set Daily Usage Reminders on Instagram?
Step 1: Tap the Hamburger button in the top-right corner of your Instagram profile page to create a reminder.
Step 2: Select Your Activity from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Tap on Set Daily Reminder below the graph of your Instagram time.
Step 4: Choose a time limit and set a reminder for it.
Social Fever: Control Your App Usage Without Limitations
Social Fever is an Android-based program that is specifically created to maintain digital wellbeing. It’s a terrific way to set reminders on your social media apps, as well as any other apps on which you spend too much time.
Social Fever not only helps users keep track of their interests and off-phone activities they’d rather do if they weren’t on social media for a long period, but it also helps them keep track of their interests and off-phone activities they’d rather do if they weren’t on social media. It’s fantastic because it’ll function with the latest Android OS and it’s also quite simple to use. To add timers to monitor the use of social networking apps, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Go to the Google PlayStore and download Social Fever: App Time Tracker.
Step 2: On your Android device, launch the Social Fever app.
Step 3: To get started, provide Usage Access permission.
Step 4: Select View Details from the Home Screen.
Step 5: You’ll be brought to a list of all the apps on your phone, with certain recommended apps marked for selection automatically.
Step 6: Unmark the ones you don’t want to track here, leaving only the social networking applications marked in this example.
Step 7: Press the Let’s Go button.
That is all there is to it. You’ll now be monitored for excessive use of the apps you’ve chosen. You can only use a certain app for 30 minutes before being prompted to turn it off. You have the option of extending or shortening this time restriction. However, that isn’t the only benefit of using Social Fever. It’s a collection of different modules that allow you to de-stress digitally and put your phone away for a period of time.
Eye and Ear Tracking: This function allows you to keep track of how much time you spend on-screen or with headphones on. It aids in the reduction of screen time, the prevention of severe eye strain, and the relaxation of your ears.
Time Well Spent: This function allows you to select a day and time frame as the quality time you’d like to spend away from home. It might be anything from going out with friends or family to just leaving the phone on the table. For the duration of the time limit and the day, your phone will be in automated Do Not Disturb mode.
Water Consumption: Starting around 8:00 a.m., the app will remind you to drink a glass of water regularly. Once you’ve done that, simply add it up on the app, and by the end of the day, you’ll be able to see how much water you’ve consumed. It’s better if there are a lot of them.
With these features, Social Fever remains at the top of the list of Android apps that can help you make reminders for social media apps. Social Fever has been around for a long time, even before social media apps like Facebook offered an individual in-app time tracker or Google’s Digital Wellbeing became popular.
The Final Word On How To Limit Instagram Usage On Your Android Smartphone
Because it’s difficult to entirely avoid using social media apps, we can use activity trackers to control or compel ourselves to control it. For Android users, Social Fever is the best reminder software and the best alternative for getting started with digital addiction and detoxing. While it will require the users’ willpower to carry out digital detox, it can certainly lay out a strategy.
Bonus Tip – If you wish to keep your Instagram safe, use SpamGuard to block spam activity. It can remove spam accounts and protect you from phishing attacks. This application works with Instagram to detect the spam, bot, and commercial account on your Followers list and then removes them. It guards your account against getting into phishing attacks and stops your personal information from being used by spam accounts. Get the SpamGuard app for your device now. It also helps in improving your Instagram experience by increasing your reach and engagement.
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