In oh Instagram, I see what you’re up to news, you can no longer disable autoplay for Instagram videos.
For the more visually inclined, you used to have this option…
And now you don’t. Now, you only have an option to toggle the pre-loading of videos to “always” or “Wi-Fi only”
It appears that Instagram snuck this into an update they released on Thursday without making any mention of it.
Today's iOS update includes new sound and data usage controls for videos on Instagram. Download here: http://t.co/jdsGS4WhKG
— Instagram (@instagram) October 10, 2013
The inability to turn off autoplay is probably a minor annoyance for most – but it’s a big, big deal for Instagram. You may remember that last week, the company announced that the first-ever ads would be hitting your feeds.
“Our aim is to make any advertisements you see feel as natural to Instagram as the photos and videos many of you already enjoy from your favorite brands. After all, our team doesn’t just build Instagram, we use it each and every day. We want these ads to be enjoyable and creative in much the same way you see engaging, high-quality ads when you flip through your favorite magazine,” said the company in a blog post.
But for advertisers to buy ads in your feed, Instagram has to be able to assure them that people will actually see them. By forcing autoplay, Instagram can do this.
[h/t The Next Web]
Image via Digital Trends