Meta has begun testing a premium subscription on Instagram in a few countries, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The subscription, called Instagram Plus, gives subscribers access to exclusive features. The move comes two months after Meta told TechCrunch that it was planning to test new subscriptions on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

Among the premium features on Instagram is the ability to view a Story — a photo or video post that disappears after 24 hours — without the poster knowing you viewed it. Subscribers can also see how many people have rewatched their own Stories, Meta told TechCrunch in an email.

Subscribers will also be able to create unlimited audience lists for Stories, beyond a Close Friends list. This means users can customize who sees each Story by grouping followers into different lists instead of only having the option to share with everyone or just one limited group.

Additionally, subscribers can extend their Story for an extra 24 hours and choose to spotlight a Story up to once per week, increasing its visibility by bringing it to the front of the Stories tray for followers.

Subscribers can also give an animated “Superlike” on others’ Stories and search their Story viewer list to quickly see if a specific person looked at their Story, instead of having to scroll through the entire list.

While Meta didn’t share in which countries it’s testing the premium subscription, social media reports indicate that it’s being tested in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines.

Pricing varies by country, but according to screenshots shared by users, it costs MX$39 (approximately $2.20 USD) per month in Mexico, ¥319 per month (approximately $2 USD) in Japan, and PHP 65 per month (approximately $1.07 USD) in the Philippines.

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It’s possible that Meta is testing the subscription in additional countries as well.

It’s worth noting that the paid subscription on Instagram is separate from Meta Verified, which is aimed at content creators and businesses and offers features like a verified badge and impersonation protections for a monthly fee. Instagram Plus is instead designed for everyday users.

Although the launch of additional subscriptions will allow Meta to generate more revenue, many users will likely be deterred by subscription fatigue. Some users have already taken to social media to voice their displeasure with the subscription offering.

Of course, Snapchat and X have proven that there is a market for social media subscriptions. Snap recently announced that Snapchat+, which starts at $3.99 per month for exclusive features, has topped 25 million subscribers.

Meta says it’s going to continue testing the Instagram premium subscription before rolling it out further.

Topics

Apps, Instagram, Meta, Social, subscriptions

Aisha Malik

Consumer News Reporter

Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.

You can contact or verify outreach from Aisha by emailing aisha@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at aisha_malik.01 on Signal.

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Meta starts testing a premium subscription on Instagram