Instagram Tests Anonymous Story Viewing for a Fee
▼ Summary
– Meta is testing a paid Instagram subscription that includes features like viewing stories anonymously and seeing replay counts.
– The subscription allows users to create unlimited custom audience lists for stories and extend their story’s lifespan beyond 24 hours.
– The test appears to be rolling out in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines, with monthly pricing varying by country.
– This follows a prior report that Meta plans to put certain AI features behind a paywall across its apps.
– Other social platforms like Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter) have also implemented subscription models.
A new paid subscription model is reportedly being tested by Instagram, offering users a suite of enhanced privacy and content control features. The plan, as detailed in a recent report, would allow subscribers to view others’ Instagram Stories anonymously, a significant shift from the platform’s standard notification system. This feature would let users browse stories without the original poster being alerted to their view.
Beyond anonymous viewing, the subscription includes several other premium Instagram features. Subscribers would gain the ability to see exactly how many times their own stories are replayed and to search for specific viewers within their story insights. The plan also introduces more granular audience management, permitting the creation of unlimited custom audience lists for stories. This function would enable content to be tailored and shared with distinct groups of followers, moving beyond the current binary choice of sharing with all followers or only a “close friends” list.
Additional perks include options to extend story duration beyond the standard 24-hour window and to prioritize a story in followers’ feeds, ensuring it appears at the front of their viewing queue. While Meta has not officially confirmed the test, user posts on social media indicate the subscription is being trialed in several markets, including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Pricing reportedly varies by region, with monthly costs ranging from approximately $1.07 in the Philippines to around $2.20 in Mexico.
This move aligns with a broader trend of social platforms introducing paid subscription tiers. Earlier this year, reports indicated Meta’s plans to reserve certain AI-powered features behind a paywall across its family of apps. Other platforms have seen success with similar models; Snapchat’s various subscription offerings now boast over 25 million subscribers, while X (formerly Twitter) maintains a multi-tiered Premium system. Instagram’s test represents a direct effort to monetize user demand for greater control over visibility and engagement metrics.
(Source: The Verge)
