Designing a focus feature for Instagram
I redesigned Instagram’s time management experience to give people more control over which parts of the app they use, helping them set boundaries without disconnecting from what matters to them.
Short on time?
Users often open Instagram with a specific purpose, like checking in on friends, replying to messages, or looking something up. But those intentional moments can easily turn into passive scrolling.
The problem wasn’t just how much time people spent, but how they spent it
60%
of social media sessions involved regret over at least some of the activity.
Not every part of Instagram was the problem
Suggested posts were the feature users were most likely to regret.
Based on a 2021 study of feature-level social media use from Carnegie Mellon University.
Not all time on Instagram felt the same
Users valued Instagram for connection, inspiration, and entertainment, but passive scrolling often made it easy to lose track of time.
…but passive scrolling made it easy to lose time without feeling it was well spent
“I love watching reels but also I fall for the indefinite scroll. Sometimes I'll be on Reels and I don't even realize that I've been scrolling on Reels for a whole hour.”
Interviewee 1
~3 hrs/day on Instagram
Some experiences felt more worth keeping
Instagram’s time-management tools limited overall usage, but couldn’t distinguish between features users wanted to spend less time on and experiences they wanted to keep using. Messaging and connecting with friends served a different purpose than passive behaviors like scrolling Reels or Explore.
Current tools
Daily limit
Controls how long users can use Instagram
Sleep mode
Controls when users receive notifications
Daily limit
I explored giving users more control over their Instagram experience, rather than simply reducing screen time
Limit total time spent on Instagram
Customize how time is spent on Instagram
Focus Mode gives users the flexibility to shape their Instagram experience around how they want to spend their time. Users can choose which experiences they want to pause and create boundaries that work for their individual needs.
Choose what works for you
Users can customize Focus Mode around the experiences they want more control over.
Default Focus Mode screen
Custom focus configuration
Adding a new custom focus
And put those choices into practice
Once enabled, Focus Mode adapts the experience based on the choices users have made, allowing them to engage with Instagram in a way that better aligns with their intentions.
Blocked feature screen
Active blocked feature in action
A feature designed to feel native to Instagram
I reused familiar Instagram patterns and interactions where possible, introducing new components only when Focus Mode required new behavior.
New components were designed to fit within Instagram’s existing design system
Icons
Buttons
Selection Control
I tested the core Focus Mode flows with 8 active Instagram users across setup, customization, and restricted features.
Users wanted a quicker way to start a focus
Participants looked for a quicker way to start focusing without creating a new setup. I added a “Messages Only” preset to reduce setup while preserving access to the feature participants valued most.
Before
After
Made feature controls easier to understand
Some participants misinterpreted the checkmarks and expected “Advanced Settings” to contain notification controls. I replaced the checkmarks with familiar toggles and clarified the labeling so it was more obvious which features would remain available during a focus.
Before
After
Added intentional friction to protect focus time
Participants felt that having “Edit Focus” immediately available made an active focus too easy to override. I removed the button from the blocked state, adding a small amount of friction before users could change the boundaries they had already set.
Before
After
Focus Mode gives people more control over the parts of Instagram they engage with, allowing them to set boundaries without giving up connection, messaging, or content they value.
The final concept shifts time management from restriction to choice
Focus settings
In a final concept check with 8 Instagram users, all participants could see themselves using Focus Mode, and 7 described specific situations where it could fit into their existing habits.