Instagram removes annoying feature that replaces Reels before they're finished

Instagram's "rug pull" feature has quietly disappeared recently, and now CEO Adam Mosseri discussed this change in a recent "Ask Me Anything" session on his Instagram Stories. The change brings a smoother scrolling experience for people. Before this change, many Instagram users were getting frustrated with sudden content switches as they were watching Reels on the app.

The "rug pull" feature was widely recognized as being frustrating to many people. What it did was that when you open Instagram and start a video, you would often see the content suddenly replaced by a new video. This abrupt switch happened before you finished watching the video. And after all of that, it was hard for you to find the Reel you were watching in the beginning.

Mosseri explained that the "rug pull" feature was initially introduced as a workaround to loading issues. Basically, when the app opens, preloaded content is presented to you. This would help prevent delays and make you stay on the app and engage with it by keeping your attention.

But as many people complained about it, Instagram decided to ditch this behavior entirely and removed the feature.

Mosseri stated that the feature kept your feed fresh, but it would be annoying when content would shift unexpectedly. A bit of an engagement hit was taken with the change, according to Mosseri. But the change would in turn ensure a smoother experience which would also help with engagement with the app in the long run.  

Now, with this feature removed, content refreshes only when scrolling, so you can view Reels uninterrupted.

I'm glad that Instagram has decided to remove the annoying feature. I've also experienced it quite a lot and it was actually pushing me away from Instagram, as I felt my attention was disturbed by the unexpected content change. So, I'm pleased that the app has now ditched this feature.