Have you noticed an increase in advertisements on Instagram and X, overshadowing your beloved creators’ posts? You are certainly not alone in this experience. Fortunately, there’s a clever method to eliminate these ads on both platforms for free, though it comes with a few drawbacks.
Understanding the Ads Dilemma on Instagram and X
In recent years, my feeds have become increasingly cluttered with ads. Some days, it feels like at least one-third of my feed is occupied by promotional content. While I understand that these platforms need revenue to operate, the abundance of ads is overwhelming.
Additionally, many users struggle to differentiate between genuine posts and advertisements. Some ads can also be misleading or even malicious, adding another layer of concern.
With the rise of ads, users are losing visibility into the content from creators they followed and valued.
For X, there’s a subscription option available to remove ads. The first tier offers minimal benefits, while the second tier reduces some ad presence. However, completely ad-free access comes with a hefty price tag of $40 monthly in the U. S.Alternatively, you might consider switching to other platforms if you prefer an ad-free experience.
On the other hand, Instagram only offers ad-free premium subscriptions to select users in the EU, priced at €7.99 per month for the app and €5.99 for the web. Unfortunately, users outside the EU have no options to escape ads for now.
How to Remove Ads on Instagram and X via Desktop
Many users resort to ad-blocking extensions to eliminate ads from X and Instagram, but these options often fall short on mobile devices. That is why I recommend using the Brave browser, which blocks ads by default, although you do have the flexibility to allow reduced ads if desired. This browser is functional on both desktop and mobile devices.
If you’re using a desktop, the setup is straightforward. Start by installing Brave and logging into Instagram and/or X. You’ll then enjoy an ad-free browsing experience. The best part? Brave allows you to return to the last tab you were viewing, helping you avoid the distracting “For You”section filled with irrelevant content.
To make access even easier, bookmark Instagram and X for quick navigation whenever you want to scroll or share your own content. Personally, I prefer to install the desktop web apps as shortcuts for easier access.
To set this up, open either platform in Brave, then click the Install button (depicted as a laptop icon) at the end of the address bar. Accept the prompt to proceed with the installation.
Then, simply click the desktop shortcut to access the app without ads.
How to Remove Ads on Mobile for Instagram and X
While Brave excels at blocking ads on desktop, it does not remove ads within the mobile versions of these apps. To fully eliminate ads while browsing on mobile, you will need to utilize the web versions of Instagram and X instead of their native apps. While this may present some inconvenience, it can dramatically reduce the time wasted scrolling through ads.
Start by downloading the Brave mobile browser. Open either Instagram or X in Brave and log in through the browser instead of through the standard apps. Continuing with X as an example, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner and select Add to Home screen. Then, tap Install to create a web app version. If you prefer a shortcut that opens in a new Brave tab, simply select Create shortcut.
Afterward, tap Add to have the shortcut appear on your home screen, where you can easily move it later if needed.
Navigating the Drawbacks
While this ad-free method can be appealing, there are some notable compromises to consider before diving in. One significant drawback is the need to log back into Instagram and X each time you clear your cookies or browsing history on Brave. Personally, I find the brief inconvenience of logging back in worthwhile when compared to scrolling through endless ads.
The second issue specifically affects Instagram users on mobile devices. If you click on a post to comment or read the comments, you may find yourself jumping back to the top of your feed upon return, rather than refreshing it. This can be quite frustrating.
Another potential frustration involves zooming on mobile. When using the web app, you might experience limitations that disable the zoom feature. Brave does allow you to override this limitation. Simply open the main Brave browser, then tap the three vertical dots at the bottom right, select Settings, scroll down to Accessibility, and enable Force enable zoom. You can also adjust the Default zoom slider to enhance text and image size as desired.
On a positive note, Brave blocks trackers by default, ensuring that your activities remain within the confines of Instagram and X, rather than spilling over onto other sites and services. You can also check whether any websites are tracking your interactions with Instagram. Keep in mind that while Brave enhances privacy, you’ll need different methods if you wish to browse Instagram Stories anonymously.
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