Meta Tests Instagram Plus Subscription in Select Markets

Meta Platforms has launched a limited test of Instagram Plus, a new premium subscription service offering everyday users exclusive features to enhance their experience with the app's Stories function. The trial is underway in select international markets, including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines, as the company explores ways to generate revenue beyond traditional advertising.

Instagram Plus provides subscribers with a range of tools focused primarily on Stories, the temporary photo and video posts that disappear after 24 hours. Key features include the ability to view others' Stories without appearing on the poster's viewer list, a capability long sought by users for greater privacy. Subscribers can also access insights into how many times individuals have rewatched their own Stories, helping them gauge content engagement more precisely.

Additional enhancements allow for expanded audience management, enabling the creation of multiple custom lists to share Stories with specific groups beyond the existing Close Friends option. Users can extend a Story's duration by an extra 24 hours, spotlight one Story per week to boost its visibility at the top of followers' feeds, and send...