Meta confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday that it has begun testing Instagram’s premium subscription in several countries. This subscription, called Instagram Plus, gives subscribers access to exclusive features. The move comes two months after Meta told TechCrunch that it plans to test the new subscription on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Among Instagram’s premium features is the ability to view Stories (posts of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours) without the creator knowing they were viewed. Subscribers can also see how many people have rewatched their stories, Meta told TechCrunch via email.
In addition to a close friends list, subscribers will also be able to create an unlimited audience list for their stories. This means users can customize who sees each story by grouping their followers into different lists, as well as the option to share with everyone or just one limited group.
Additionally, subscribers can extend their Stories for an additional 24 hours, choose to spotlight their Stories up to once a week, and increase the visibility of their Stories by bringing them to the front of their followers’ Story trays.
Subscribers can also give animated “super likes” to other people’s stories and search the story viewer list to instantly see if a specific person has viewed their story instead of scrolling through the entire list.
Meta hasn’t revealed which countries it’s testing its premium subscription in, but social media reports suggest it’s being tested in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines.
Pricing varies by country, but according to screenshots shared by users, it costs 39MX dollars (about $2.20) per month in Mexico, 319 yen (about $2) per month in Japan, and 65 pesos (about $1.07) per month in the Philippines.
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Meta may be testing subscriptions in other countries as well.
Note that Instagram’s paid subscriptions are separate from Meta Verified, which targets content creators and businesses and offers features like verified badges and anti-impersonation protection for a monthly fee. Instagram Plus is designed for everyday users.
Starting additional subscriptions could help Meta generate more revenue, but many users may be deterred by subscription fatigue. Some users have already taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the subscription service.
Of course, Snapchat and X proved that there is a market for social media subscriptions. Snap recently announced that Snapchat+, which offers exclusive features starting at $3.99 per month, has surpassed 25 million subscribers.
Meta said it will continue testing Instagram’s premium subscription before rolling it out further.
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