Instagram launches paid plan letting users browse stories anonymously for $3.99 a month

Meta has launched a paid subscription tier for Instagram that allows users to view other people's stories without appearing in the poster's viewer list. Instagram stories — photos or short videos that disappear after 24 hours — already show posters a full list of who has viewed their content, prompting many users to create secondary accounts just to browse anonymously. Meta is now monetizing that workaround.

According to foreign media reports, Meta has begun rolling out the subscription plan, called Instagram Plus, worldwide at $3.99 a month — roughly 6,000 won.

Instagram Plus centers on enhanced story features. Subscribers can view anyone's story without their name appearing in the poster's viewer list, granting anonymous browsing that ordinary users do not have.

The plan also extends how long a story stays live. Standard stories vanish 24 hours after posting, but Instagram Plus subscribers can keep theirs up for 48 hours. A feature to pin stories at the top of a profile is included as well.

Viewing analytics get an upgrade, too. While regular users can only see a list of who watched their story, paid subscribers can also see how many times a specific user has rewatched it. A selective-audience setting lets subscribers choose which followers can see each story.

Subscribers also gain access to "Super Like," an animated reaction that carries more visual emphasis than a standard like.

Instagram Plus has been in testing in Japan, Mexico and the Philippines since March and is expected to expand to more countries throughout the year. Meta has also said it plans to add new features to the plan over time.

Industry observers see the paid subscription push as Meta's strategy to build revenue streams beyond advertising. As user growth slows and competition in the digital ad market intensifies, the company is converting select convenience features into monthly subscription products.

Meta has paired Instagram Plus with Facebook Plus, priced at $3.99 a month, and WhatsApp Plus at $2.99 a month. The company also plans to test two tiers of a paid AI chatbot subscription — Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium.

X, then known as Twitter, pioneered the social media subscription model when it launched Twitter Blue in 2021. After Elon Musk acquired the platform, the service was rebranded as X Premium.