Instagram Plus Subscription Reportedly in Testing With Premium Story Tools, Exclusive Features

Instagram appears to be testing a new paid subscription called Instagram Plus, which could bring a set of premium features focused on Stories. Early details suggest it may include tools to manage story audiences, track rewatch insights, and extend the duration of their Instagram stories beyond the 24-hour limit. Users may also get options to boost visibility and engagement through new interactions. The feature is currently in testing, indicating Instagram's continued push towards adding paid features to its platform.

Instagram Plus May Bring Story Insights, Longer Stories and More Controls

According to a post on Threads by social media consultant Matt Navarra, Instagram Plus will be similar to Snapchat Plus and is expected to bring a set of exclusive features for users. He noted that the new feature is currently being tested in the Philippines at a price of PHP 65 (roughly Rs. 100) per month. The shared screenshot also shows a one-month free trial before the subscription renews automatically.

Based on the image shared, Instagram Plus appears to be focused mainly on the social media sites' Stories feature. Users may be able to share stories with different groups of people and see how many times their stories are rewatched. They could also search through the list of viewers and preview a story before posting it.

Navarra also claims that Instagram later confirmed that it is testing the subscription "in a few countries worldwide", and that it currently lets users create unlimited audience lists for stories (in addition to Close Friends), and extend their story by an additional 24 hours. Subscribers can also preview stories without showing up in the viewers list, view the number of people who rewatched an Instagram story, choose one story a week to "spotlight" for additional views, and get a 'Superlike' button for stories.

Instagram Plus subscribers may also be able to keep Stories live for longer, that is, more than 24 hours, and send super hearts to show stronger reactions, as well as spotlight a Story to reach more people. These features are said to give users more control and help boost engagement on Stories.

This feature was spotted in a developmental stage earlier this year. Instagram has not confirmed Instagram Plus yet, and the company has not shared when it plans to roll it out more widely.

Instagram recently announced that it will end support for end-to-end encrypted chats starting May 8. Users will lose access to existing encrypted conversations after that date. The platform has asked users to download their messages and media before the deadline. Some users may need to update the app to access this option.