Meta starts testing Instagram premium subscription: Exclusive features, pricing and more

Facebook-parent Meta is reportedly testing a new paid subscription model on Instagram, called Instagram Plus. According to a report by TechCrunch, the company is presently testing the paid model in select countries. The premium service introduced by Meta is said to offer exclusive features aimed at everyday users, marking Meta’s latest effort to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising. The rollout of the paid subscription-based model comes two months after Meta confirmed its plans to experiment with subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.As per the TechCrunch report, Instagram Plus offers many enhancements to the platform’s popular Stories feature. Subscribers can now view Stories anonymously, see how many people rewatched their own posts, and create unlimited audience lists beyond the standard Close Friends option. The Instagram Plus users will also be able to increase the deadline of a Story to 48 hours and will also be able to spotlight one Story per week at the top of followers’ trays, and send animated “Superlikes.” Along with this, users will also get the ability to search their Story viewer list to quickly check if a specific person has viewed their content. Meta has not yet officially revealed all the markets in which the company is conducting the test of Instagram Plus. But the TechCrunch report revealed that the subscription model of Instagram is available in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Pricing varies by country:It remains possible that Meta is testing the subscription in additional markets. For those unaware, Instagram Plus is separate from Meta Verified which targets both creators and businesses with multiple features such as verification badges and impersonation protection. Instead, Instagram Plus is designed for everyday users who want more control, privacy, and personalisation in their social media experience.