Meta is testing a new premium subscription for Instagram that will allow paying users to anonymously view other people’s Stories.
Only Instagram users in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines will be able to sign up for Instagram Plus membership, according to TechCrunch, who first reported the news.
Costing between $1 to $2 locally per month, the premium features will also allow subscribers to see how many people have rewatched their stories multiple times.
Other features listed include an animated “Superlike” reaction for Instagram Stories, and extending their reach by making them available for longer.
Meta, which also owns Facebook and WhatsApp, is also reportedly testing paywalls for its other apps.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp news site WaBetaInfo reported that a new premium subscription plan for Android ans iOS called WhatsApp Plus was under development.
Paid-for features include exclusive ringtones, pinned chats and customisation options.
“These include a selection of 14 new icons and multiple color choices for interface elements,” the publication reported. “This addition will give users more control over the look of the app.
“WhatsApp Plus is expected to include even more features over time, expanding the ways subscribers can personalize and enhance their WhatsApp experience. For example, WhatsApp Plus users will access to exclusive stickers that are not available to free users.”
The Independent has reached out to the company for further information about Instagram Plus and other premium plans for its apps.
The tech giant appears to be following the model adopted by other social media platforms like Snapchat and X, which both offer extra features for people who pay for the app.
X introduced a premium tier for users after Elon Musk took over the company and made sweeping changes to the platform, including renaming it from Twitter.
There are reportedly around 10 million paying subscribers to X, while Snapchat-owner Snap recently revealed that it has more than 25m subscribers to its Snapchat+.
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