Meta is introducing Instagram Plus, a subscription service priced at $3.99 per month, that enhances the platform with features like extended “stories” visibility for 48 hours, doubling the current duration available to free users.
The new service is aimed at helping Meta diversify its revenue base, which is heavily dependent on advertising. The photo-sharing app will continue to be available for free, and nothing will change for nonpaying users, Instagram said in a Thursday post.
The company assures users that the current Instagram experience will remain unchanged, emphasizing that Instagram Plus is merely an optional enhancement for those seeking additional features.
What do you get for $3.99 a month?
Subscribers who utilize the stories feature—which typically allows for images or videos to be visible for just 24 hours—will now have the option to extend their visibility to 48 hours.
Instagram Plus also empowers users with the ability to craft multiple audience lists, enabling them to selectively share content with designated groups. According to Meta, these enhancements are designed to help users foster stronger connections with their followers.
The subscription further offers advanced metrics, allowing subscribers to gain insights into their audience engagement, such as the frequency with which their stories are rewatched, providing clues about the content’s appeal.
Additionally, subscribers can efficiently verify if particular individuals have viewed their stories, offering a more personalized engagement experience.
Custom app icon, fonts
Instagram Plus gives the app’s users the ability to choose a custom app icon, versus just the standard tile. The paid tier also lets users choose different fonts when writing their bios, and post content to their profiles without it automatically appearing in friends’ feeds, Meta said.
Instagram’s parent company added that it will be bringing new features to Instagram Plus in the coming months.
Meta’s AI agents for businesses
Meta on Wednesday also launched AI agents for businesses, called the Meta Business Agent, which work across its apps, including WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, to recommend products, answer customers’ questions, and carry out other tasks autonomously.
The move comes as agentic AI, the successor to generative AI, becomes more attractive to businesses, which see it as a potential replacement for labor costs. Consumers are also adopting the tech to outsource administrative tasks.
The new products are being rolled at as Meta continues to overhaul its business to focus on AI. Meta in April disclosed plans to lay off roughly 8,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce, to cut costs as it invests more money in artificial intelligence.
