Taylor Kerns / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Meta is testing its Instagram Plus subscription service in select global markets, including the Philippines and Mexico.
- Instagram Plus subscribers get several Story-based features like longer 48-hour Stories and a hidden Story preview.
- The subscription service will also allow users to create custom audience lists for Stories separate from their Close Friends group.
Subscription services are becoming a staple of social media platforms with offerings like X Premium and more Snapchat Plus offers exclusive features to paying subscribers. Meta is no stranger to subscriptionsbecause there is currently a Meta Verified plan starting at $14.99 per month. In return, Meta Verified subscribers get a blue badge, profile links with images, anti-spoofing and improved support. The feature set and price make Meta Verified more attractive to businesses and creators than the average Instagram or Facebook user, but the company is now testing a cheaper and more consumer-friendly Instagram subscription plan.
Social media consultant Matt Navarra has shown off a subscription service called Instagram Plus in screenshots. post Threads (via Finish the gadget). A Meta spokesperson confirmed the test and reinforced plans to keep “the core experience free for everyone.” The trial of the Instagram Plus subscription service is ongoing in “several countries around the world,” including the Philippines and Mexico.
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Meta’s Instagram Plus subscription plan currently offers the following additional features centered around Stories:
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Create unlimited audience lists for Stories other than Close Friends
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See how many people rewatched your Story
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Pay attention to the story (up to once a week) and pay more attention to it
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Give a live, animated Superlike in Stories to show extra love
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Extend your story for an extra 24 hours so more viewers can see it
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Preview the story without pretending to be a viewer
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Search your list watching a story instead of scrolling through them all
Many of these Instagram Plus features are creatively oriented, such as 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 allow Stories to run for 48 hours without any users adding them to their Stories, except for paid subscribers. In addition, Instagram Plus will allow users to secretly view other people’s Stories without their profile appearing in the creator’s list of story followers.
Meta uses this Instagram Plus test to investigate which extra features are worth paying for. “Our hope from these tests is to understand what people value most in a premium feature set,” a company spokesperson told Navarra.
The cost of the subscription will certainly determine whether users find Instagram Plus worth it. Instagram Plus is currently available in the Philippines for PHP 65, which is about $1.07 per month. It also sells for 39 MXN or about $2.15 in Mexico. This can give us an idea of what an Instagram Plus subscription might cost in the US, but it’s worth noting that subscription prices often vary significantly between regions and markets.
A supporting document Meta confirms on its website that Instagram Plus is “not currently available to everyone.” Currently not available for Instagram users in the US. What would be the additional features make you subscribe to Instagram? Let us know in the comments below.
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