Features that were once only a dream: Instagram is testing a new subscription service called Instagram Plus, which could change the way users consume and manage content on the platform. According to reports and user testimonies, the service is already being tested in several countries, including the Philippines and Mexico, and offers a range of advanced capabilities that are not currently available to regular users.
The core of the new service focuses on the Stories format, one of the most popular tools in the app. Among the options being tested is extending the duration of a Story beyond 24 hours, a change that could significantly impact usage patterns on the platform. In addition, subscribers will be able to create different audience groups for each Story, allowing content to be tailored more precisely to different groups of followers.
Another feature attracting attention is the ability to view other users’ Stories without appearing on the viewer list. A change that could undermine one of the platform’s core characteristics: Transparency in content viewing. At the same time, the service also offers more advanced data for content creators, such as information on who rewatched a Story, search within the viewer list, and the ability to highlight specific Stories using a dedicated tool called “Spotlight.”
At the same time, the service includes new interaction tools such as “Super Hearts” reactions, designed to deepen engagement between users and creators. Alongside these features, the option to preview a Story before fully viewing it is also being tested, giving users greater control over content consumption.
Meta confirmed that this is only a limited experiment and that the service is not currently available to all users. The company noted that the goal is to understand which features are considered high-value for users within a premium service.
The price, at least during the testing phase, is relatively low. In the Philippines, the fee stands at about 65 pesos per month, just over $1, and in Mexico about 39 pesos, roughly $2. New users also receive a one-month free trial, suggesting an effort to encourage broad adoption of the service.
Meta’s move does not happen in a vacuum. The Snapchat+ service, launched in 2022, has already managed to accumulate millions of subscribers and has become a significant source of revenue for the company behind Snapchat. Now it appears that Meta is seeking to adopt a similar model while expanding its revenue streams beyond advertising, a field it has dominated for many years.
At the same time, the company has already begun promoting additional subscription services, including Meta Verified, and has recently experimented with offering discounted bundles with trial periods at particularly low prices. These steps point to a broader strategy of shifting toward paid services, including AI-based features currently under evaluation.
Despite the economic potential, it is unclear how users will respond to a model in which some capabilities become exclusive to subscribers. Such a change could spark criticism, especially if it is perceived as harming the basic user experience or creating gaps between users.