Meta has initiated testing of a premium subscription service called Instagram Plus in select countries, as confirmed to TechCrunch. This new feature grants subscribers access to a range of exclusive tools aimed at enhancing their Instagram experience, following Meta’s earlier indication of plans for subscription-based services across its platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Notably, one of the standout features of Instagram Plus is the ability to view Stories—temporary posts that vanish after 24 hours—without alerting the creator. Subscribers will also gain insights into the number of views their own Stories have received. Additionally, users can craft unlimited audience lists for Stories, allowing for personalised sharing by categorising followers into different groups, instead of relying solely on the traditional Close Friends list.
Subscribers can extend the lifespan of their Stories by an additional 24 hours and can highlight a Story weekly, increasing its prominence in the Stories tray for their followers. Other features include the ability to express appreciation through an animated “Superlike” on others’ Stories and quickly check if specific users have viewed their Story without needing to sift through the entire viewer list.
Although Meta has not disclosed the specific countries involved in the trial, reports suggest that testing is taking place in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Pricing appears to vary across these regions, with users in Mexico paying approximately $2.20 USD, those in Japan about $2 USD, and users in the Philippines roughly $1.07 USD per month.
While the concept of a premium Instagram subscription aims to provide additional revenue streams for Meta, it exists independently of the existing Meta Verified service, which offers benefits for creators and businesses, such as verification badges and protection against impersonation. Instagram Plus is targeted at regular users, which may help differentiate it from other offerings.
However, with the increasing prevalence of subscription services, user fatigue could pose a challenge, as some individuals have already expressed their dissatisfaction across social platforms regarding the introduction of this new offering. Despite this, there is a demonstrated market for social media subscriptions, as evidenced by Snapchat+, which has successfully attracted over 25 million subscribers.
Meta plans ongoing trials for Instagram Plus before considering a broader rollout.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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