Here’s how to remove "Test Overlay Text" message box from Facebook ads

Facebook users around the world have been scratching their heads over a mysterious blue box appearing on ads in their feeds. The box, containing the words “Test Overlay Text,” has been popping up on sponsored content for the past few days, leaving many wondering if their accounts had been hacked or if Facebook was experiencing technical difficulties.

As it turns out, the culprit behind this peculiar occurrence is likely a case of a developer accidentally pushing test code to the live production environment. In simpler terms, someone at Facebook HQ probably hit the wrong button and inadvertently released an internal testing feature to the public. Here are a few screenshots stitched together showing how the “Test Overlay Text” appears:

The good news? There’s an easy fix for this annoying blue box. Users simply need to update their Facebook app to the latest version available in their device’s app store. Once updated, the “Test Overlay Text” should disappear, restoring ads to their intended appearance. Multiple users have confirmed that this did the trick for them.

This mishap has affected users across multiple countries, with reports coming in from the United States, Canada, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan, among others. The issue seems to be present regardless of whether users are browsing in light or dark mode.

While the overlay text is more of a nuisance than a serious problem, it likely caused some frustration among advertisers. In some cases, the blue box has obscured important information in ads, potentially impacting their effectiveness. One user reported seeing a HelloFresh ad where the test overlay completely blocked the deal being advertised.

So, if you’re still seeing that pesky blue box on your Facebook ads, head to your App Store or Play Store and hit that update button. Your ad-viewing experience should be back to normal in no time.