Meta has begun testing a premium Instagram subscription in a few countries, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The subscription, called Instagram Plus, gives subscribers access to exclusive features. The move comes two months after Meta told TechCrunch it planned to test new subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Among the top features on Instagram is the ability to view a story — a photo or video post that disappears after 24 hours — without the poster knowing you saw it. Subscribers can also see how many people have rewatched their own Stories, Meta told TechCrunch in an email.
Subscribers will also be able to create unlimited audience lists for Stories, in addition to a list of close friends. This means users can customize who sees each Story by grouping followers into different lists instead of having the option to share with everyone or just a limited group.
In addition, subscribers can extend their Story for an additional 24 hours and choose to highlight a Story up to once per week, increasing its visibility by bringing it to the front of the Stories tray for followers.
Subscribers can also give an animated “Superlike” to others’ Stories and search their Story viewer list to quickly see if a specific person viewed their Story, instead of having to scroll through the entire list.
Although Meta did not share which countries it is testing the premium subscription in, social media reports suggest that it is being tested in Mexico, Japanand the Philippines.
Pricing varies by country, but according to screenshots shared by users, it costs MX$39 (about $2.20 USD) per month in Mexico, ¥319 per month (about $2 USD) in Japan, and PHP 65 per month (about $1.07 USD) in the Philippines.
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It is possible that Meta is testing the subscription in other countries as well.
It’s worth noting that Instagram’s paid subscription is separate from Meta Verified, which is aimed at content creators and businesses and offers features like a verified badge and impersonation protection for a monthly fee. Instagram Plus is designed for everyday users.
While rolling out additional subscriptions will allow Meta to generate more revenue, many users will likely be discouraged by subscription fatigue. Some users already have transferred to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the subscription offer.
Of course, Snapchat and X have proven that there is a market for social media subscriptions. Snap recently announced that Snapchat+, which starts at $3.99 per month for exclusive features, has surpassed 25 million subscribers.
Meta says it’s going to continue testing the Instagram premium membership before rolling it out further.
