Meta is quietly testing something it has never done before on Instagram. The parent company is now charging regular users for extra features.
Meta confirmed this week that it has started rolling out a premium subscription called Instagram Plus in a handful of countries, offering a set of exclusive tools aimed not at creators or businesses but at everyday users who want more control over how they use Stories.
What You Get With Instagram Plus
The subscription is built almost entirely around Instagram’s Stories feature. Subscribers can view someone’s Story without the poster knowing they looked at it, a capability that will immediately appeal to anyone who has ever accidentally tapped on an ex’s Story and regretted it. They can also see how many people have rewatched their own Story, giving a layer of engagement data that the free version of Instagram does not provide.
Beyond that, Instagram Plus lets users create unlimited audience lists for Stories. Right now, Instagram only offers a single Close Friends list for limiting who sees a Story. With the subscription, users can build multiple custom groups, choosing exactly which followers see each post rather than broadcasting to everyone or restricting to one predefined circle.
Subscribers also get the ability to extend a Story for an extra 24 hours past the standard one-day window and can spotlight a Story up to once per week, which pushes it to the front of the Stories tray for their followers. There is also an animated “Superlike” reaction for other people’s Stories and a search function within the Story viewer list, so users can quickly check whether a specific person saw their Story without scrolling through the entire list.
Where It Is Being Tested and What It Costs
Meta did not officially disclose which countries are part of the test, but screenshots shared by users on social media indicate it is live in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Pricing varies by market. In Mexico, the subscription costs approximately MX$39 per month, which works out to about $2.20. In Japan it is roughly ¥319 per month, or about $2. In the Philippines the price is around PHP 65 per month, approximately $1.07. It is possible the test extends to additional countries that have not yet surfaced publicly.
The pricing is notably low compared to other social media subscriptions. Snapchat’s premium tier, Snapchat+, starts at $3.99 per month and recently crossed 25 million subscribers, generating enough direct revenue for the company to hit $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. X’s premium subscription is more expensive still. Meta appears to be testing whether a lower price point can drive mass adoption among a user base that numbers well over two billion.
Not the Same as Meta Verified
Instagram Plus is a separate product from Meta Verified, the existing subscription that targets creators and businesses with features like a verification badge and impersonation protection. Meta Verified is about professional credibility and reach. Instagram Plus is about personal convenience and customization, features that appeal to users who are heavy Story consumers and want finer control over their experience.
The distinction matters because it signals that Meta sees subscription revenue as something that can come from multiple tiers of its user base, not just the relatively small percentage of people who create content professionally.
Subscription Fatigue Is the Obvious Risk
The announcement has already drawn pushback from some users who view it as yet another service trying to charge for features that arguably should be free. Comments on social media have ranged from mild annoyance to outright frustration, reflecting a broader weariness with the subscription model that has spread across streaming, software, news, and now social media.
Meta acknowledged that it is still in the testing phase and will continue evaluating the subscription before any wider rollout. The company first signaled its plans back in January when it told reporters it was exploring premium subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Instagram Plus is the first concrete result of that exploration. Other apps will receive their Plus versions in the coming months.
