Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

The social network Instagram has begun testing a new paid subscription that offers users access to additional features, including the ability to view Stories anonymously, AzerNEWS reports.

Other premium options include advanced audience controls, allowing users to create custom lists beyond the standard "Close Friends" category, and the ability to extend the visibility of Stories by an extra 24 hours.

As a reminder, Instagram Stories are photo and video posts that disappear after 24 hours, while creators can see a list of viewers. The new hidden view feature changes this for premium subscribers, allowing them to browse Stories without revealing their identity.

“We hope these tests will help us understand which features are most valuable to users within the premium offer,” an Instagram representative told Bloomberg.

According to TechCrunch, the subscription trial is already underway in several countries, including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines, with prices ranging from $1 to $2 per month.

In recent years, Meta has actively expanded its paid offerings to diversify revenue beyond advertising. These include an ad-free subscription for EU users and services granting access to exclusive content from popular creators.

Interestingly, analysts suggest that the anonymous viewing feature could attract a wave of “silent” followers, changing how influencers gauge engagement and potentially reshaping content strategies on the platform.