Meta launches Instagram Plus subscription for $3.99/month

Meta has officially launched Instagram Plus, a new optional subscription service for its photo-sharing platform, rolling out globally as of June 4. The service, priced at $3.99 per month, offers a suite of premium features while the company stresses the standard version of the app will remain unchanged and free to use.

The launch is part of a broader initiative by Meta to introduce paid subscription plans across its family of apps, which also includes Facebook Plus at $3.99 per month and WhatsApp Plus at $2.99 per month. In a video announcement, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed users can sign up for the service directly within their profile settings.

Instagram Plus introduces 11 new features organized into three categories: enhanced sharing tools, deeper content insights, and greater customization. For sharing, subscribers can give their stories priority visibility in friends' feeds, send animated "Super Hearts" in response to stories, create unlimited custom audience lists for targeted sharing, and extend the lifespan of a story from 24 to 48 hours.

The subscription also provides new analytical tools, allowing users to preview stories before interacting, see how many times...