Instagram Plus subscription is at the centre of Meta's latest experiment with paid features on its photo-sharing app. The company has begun testing a low-cost premium tier, called Instagram Plus, in a handful of markets as it looks beyond creators and brands to everyday users.
The trial is currently live in a few countries, including the Philippines, Mexico and Japan, with local pricing reported in the range of 1 to 2 US dollars a month, roughly ₹100 to ₹200. Some users in the Philippines have seen a price of around PHP 65, while Japanese users have reported a fee of about ¥319 after a one-month free trial. Meta has not yet published a global price card, and says final rates could change as tests continue.
Where does Instagram Plus try to earn that money? Almost entirely in Stories. Subscribers can watch other people's Stories without their name appearing in the viewer list, and see how many people have rewatched their own posts. They can also create unlimited custom audience lists beyond Close Friends to control who sees what, extend a Story's life from 24 to 48 hours, and spotlight one Story a week so it jumps to the front of followers' trays. Extra interaction tools such as animated "Superlikes" or "super hearts", Story previews before posting, viewer search and story "spotlighting" are also part of the bundle in early tests.
Meta already sells Meta Verified, aimed mainly at professionals, but Instagram Plus is pitched as a cheaper add-on for regular users who want more control and insight. A Meta spokesperson has stressed that "the core experience will remain free for everyone" and that these trials are designed to see "what's most valuable to people in a premium feature set". Feedback from markets like Mexico, Japan and the Philippines will shape whether Instagram Plus rolls out more widely and which Story tools ultimately sit behind a paywall.