Almost a year on, Instagram is still switching mute and pause tap features on Reels, and users are fed up with this test

Instagram users are growing increasingly frustrated as the platform keeps switching between mute and pause functions on Reels. This issue has been dragging on for nearly a year now. It all comes down to Instagram’s A/B testing. That’s when they roll out different features to different users to see what works best. One day, tapping a Reel mutes the sound. The next, it pauses the video. This back-and-forth is driving people up the wall because there’s no way to predict what will happen.

The constant changes mess with how users interact with the app. Imagine tapping to mute a loud Reel, only to have it pause instead. Or wanting to stop the video to read comments, but it silences it instead. People have taken to social media to vent. They’re calling it “absurd” and “frustrating.” Some even think Instagram is doing this on purpose to throw them off.

It’s not just Reddit where people are complaining. Many have even taken to X to share their frustrations. Here’s what people are saying about this test:

I never know what’s going to happen when I tap a video on Instagram😭 Will it pause? Mute? Like? Find out on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z. (Source)

@instagram why the hell have you taken away the ability to tap to mute rells. Who the hell wants to pause reels. Please fix it because it works with the other account I had created just to make sure that this is completely random. (Source)

@instagram make up your mind man. One day I can pause reels. Next day I mute them. (Source)

Instagram needs to stop changing their sh!t, when I click on a video I want to MUTE IT. NOT PAUSE IT. BRING MY SH!T BACK. (Source)

A/B testing isn’t new. Companies use it all the time to tweak apps and improve the experience. But Instagram’s drawn-out experiment with this tap feature is testing everyone’s patience. Reports from as far back as April 2024 show this has been going on for months. Yet, there’s still no sign of a final decision. Users feel stuck in a never-ending trial, unsure why it’s taking so long.

What people really want is something steady. It doesn’t matter as much whether tapping mutes or pauses the Reel. They just want to know what’s coming. Some like pausing to take a break or check comments. Others prefer muting to kill the sound fast. Consistency is the real issue here, and Instagram hasn’t delivered.

The app has offered some workarounds. You can mute Reels from the homepage or play music from another app to control the volume. Some users even have a dedicated mute button, but the availability of this button is also seemingly under A/B testing. Naturally, these fixes feel clunky. They don’t solve the main problem of not knowing what a tap will do.

As this drags on, users are losing patience. They’re begging Instagram to pick a side and stick with it. Until that happens, every tap on a Reel is a gamble. People just want a reliable experience back.