Instagram Finally Found A Premium Feature You Might Want - And It's A Little Creepy

With about 3 billion monthly active users worldwide, Instagram is one of Meta's main products, matching the reach of WhatsApp and Facebook. Meta's revenue from Instagram has more than doubled in the last five years, reaching an estimated $71 billion in 2025 from about $32 billion in 2021. In other words, Instagram is one of Meta's main moneymakers, accounting for over 35% of revenue last year. 

Since most of Meta's revenue comes from advertising, it's clear that Instagram is bringing in plenty of cash from the advertisements users see in their feed and Stories. Therefore, Meta wouldn't inherently need to monetize Instagram with subscriptions of any kind, but the social media giant is testing an affordable Instagram Plus subscription in various markets. The Plus tier brings several new features to users, including one that some people may appreciate. It's also a somewhat creepy feature — the ability to see a Story without the person sharing it seeing who viewed it.

On one hand, the feature could be seen as privacy-focused functionality since users can view temporary Instagram Stories without worrying about being identified. On the other hand, some might see it as another controversial Instagram feature since it may also make it easier for some users to stalk others. To be clear, these aren't just rumors — Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that the tests are in place in several markets, without saying how many countries are included. Social media reports indicate that Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines are part of the experiment.

Instagram Plus will offer other features that subscribers may appreciate, including the ability to see how many people have rewatched their own Stories. This may also be a somewhat troubling feature, as it may offer some users more information than currently available. As of this writing, Instagram users can see who saw their Story, but not how many times they may have viewed it. On top of that, Instagram Plus users will be able to look for a specific person within the Story viewer list to check whether that individual has watched the clip or image, instead of scrolling through a list of users.

Instagram Plus will also include a few useful features that users who want to promote content through Stories will appreciate. For example, subscribers will be able to extend a Story for an additional 24 hours. They will also be able to choose a Spotlight Story twice a week. Importantly, Instagram Plus users will be able to create multiple audience lists for their Stories, with seemingly no limits in place. As of this writing, standard Instagram users can share content only with a Close Friends list. The premium sharing feature may allow some content creators to separate stories for specific groups of followers. Finally, users will be able to send "super hearts" to Stories belonging to other creators.

Instagram Plus doesn't necessarily target professional content creators and influencers. Meta already has such subscriptions in place. It's also unrelated to Meta Verified, a subscription for businesses that offers verification and additional tools. Finally, it's not related to the ad-free Instagram subscription that Meta offers in the European Union in response to local legislation. Instead, Instagram Plus appears to propose an affordable premium social media experience that some users may appreciate.

U.S. pricing isn't available for Instagram Plus, as the test isn't available in the country, despite Instagram being used by over 140 million Americans, according to estimates. But international pricing suggests that Meta may price Instagram Plus in the U.S. at $2.99 to $3.99 per month, assuming the premium test expands or that Meta decides to bring the subscription tier to Instagram worldwide. While the price estimate is speculative, it's based on what Meta charges in international markets. Instagram Plus is available for MX$39 per month ($2.20) in Mexico, ¥319 per month ($2) in Japan, and ₱65 per month ($1.07) in the Philippines. For reference, Snap is selling Snapchat Plus subscriptions for $3.99 per month. At 25 million subscribers as of early 2026, that amounts to $1 billion in annual revenue when combined with income from Snapchat's other in-app purchases.