The feature concerning the automatic commencement of videos and other media content within the Instagram application is the focus here. Disabling this feature prevents videos from initiating playback until the user explicitly instructs them to do so. For example, without modifying the default setting, a user scrolling through their Instagram feed will observe videos starting immediately and silently.
Managing this function is valuable because it influences data consumption, user experience, and cognitive load. Historically, social media platforms defaulted to auto-playing videos to increase engagement metrics. However, user feedback has increasingly emphasized the desire for greater control over media playback, leading to the provision of options to manage or disable this setting.