Taylor Kerns / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Meta is testing an Instagram Plus subscription service in certain global markets, including the Philippines and Mexico.
- Instagram Plus subscribers receive a handful of Story-based features, like longer 48-hour Stories and secretive Story viewing.
- The subscription service will also let users create custom audience lists for Stories separate from the Close Friends group.
Subscription services are becoming a major part of social media platforms, with offerings like X Premium and Snapchat Plus providing exclusive features to paying subscribers. Meta isn’t a stranger to subscriptions, as it currently has a Meta Verified plan available starting at $14.99 per month. In exchange, Meta Verified subscribers get a blue checkmark, profile links with images, impersonation protection, and enhanced support. The feature set and price makes Meta Verified more appealing to businesses and creators than the average Instagram or Facebook user, but the company is now testing a cheaper and consumer-friendly Instagram subscription plan.
Social media consultant Matt Navarra showed off the subscription service, called Instagram Plus, in screenshots in a post on Threads (via Endgadget). A Meta spokesperson confirmed the test and reinforced plans to keep the “core experience free for everyone.” The Instagram Plus subscription service test is ongoing in “a few countries worldwide,” including the Philippines and Mexico.
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Meta’s Instagram Plus subscription plan currently offers the following extra features, all centered around Stories:
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Create unlimited audience lists for Stories, beyond Close Friends
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See how many people have rewatched your Story
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Spotlight a story (up to once a week) to get more eyes on it
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Give a vibrant, animated Superlike on Stories to show extra love
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Extend your story for an additional 24-hours so more of your followers might see it
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Preview a story without showing up as a viewer
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Search your story viewer list instead of having to scroll through it all
Many of these Instagram Plus features are creator-focused, like the ability to create custom audience lists and spotlight Stories. A few are notable firsts for the Instagram Story experience. For the first time, Instagram will let Stories last for 48 hours without a user needing to add them to their Story Highlights, but only for paid subscribers. Additionally, Instagram Plus will let users secretly view others’ Stories without their profile appearing in the creator’s story viewer list.
Meta is using this Instagram Plus test to explore which extra features would be worth paying for. “Our hope from these tests is to understand what’s most valuable to people in a premium feature set,” the company spokesperson told Navarra.
The subscription cost will surely be a factor in whether users find Instagram Plus valuable. Currently, Instagram Plus is available for 65 PHP in the Philippines, which is about $1.07 per month. It’s also available for $39 MXN in Mexico, or roughly $2.15. This might give us an idea of what an Instagram Plus subscription could cost in the US, but it’s worth noting that subscription prices often vary significantly across regions and markets.
A support document on Meta’s website confirms Instagram Plus is “not available to everyone right now.” It’s currently not available for Instagram users in the US. What extra features would make you subscribe to Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.
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