TechCrunch Article
Meta starts testing a premium subscription on Instagram
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/30/meta-starts-testing-a-premium-subscription-on-instagram/
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Meta officially acknowledged on Monday through TechCrunch that it is pilot testing a premium subscription service called 'Instagram Plus' in some countries. A notable feature is the ability to anonymously view Stories, which are photos or videos that disappear after 24 hours, without notifying the poster.
According to an email Meta sent to TechCrunch, subscribers will also be able to see how many people have rewatched their stories.
Subscribers can also create unlimited audience lists for Stories in addition to their 'Close Friends' list. This means users can customize who sees each Story instead of sharing it publicly or with just one group by grouping followers into multiple lists.
Here, subscribers can extend the posting time of Stories by 24 hours and designate a specific Story as 'Spotlight' once a week to bring it to the top of followers' Story lists and increase its visibility.
In addition, subscribers can send 'Super Likes' with animation effects to other people's Stories and quickly check if a specific person has viewed their Story by searching through the entire list of Story viewers without having to scroll.
While the company hasn't officially announced which countries are testing the premium subscription, social media reports suggest that Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines are included in the test.
Although prices vary by country, screenshots shared by users show that Mexico is priced at 39 pesos per month (approximately $2.20), Japan at 319 yen per month (approximately $2), and the Philippines at 65 pesos per month (approximately $1.07). It's also possible that testing is being conducted in other countries besides those mentioned by Meta.
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