Let it be their undoing: Instagram Plus is rolling out globally, and users arent happy about the idea of paying for an app thats always been free

Date:
Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:16:53 +0000

Description:
Instagram Plus bulks up the app with numerous new and improved features for those prepared to pay, and early reactions haven't been positive.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Instagram Plus is now rolling out globally It costs $3.99 (roughly 3 / AU$5.60) per month It includes new and improved features, with everything that was previously free remaining so at least for now Following an announcement last month, Instagram Plus is now rolling out globally, giving you the opportunity to pay a monthly
subscription to use a platform you previously accessed for free.

Of course, the free tier is still available and for now at least includes everything it always did, with the Plus version adding things on top. For $3.99 (roughly 3 / AU$5.60) per month, Instagram Plus gives you Story Spotlight, which lets you give your story priority for your friends, Super Hearts, which are animated hearts you can send, the ability to create as many story audience lists as you want, and the ability to make a story last for 48 hours, rather than the standard 24. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

You can also preview stories, see how many times your stories were rewatched, quickly check if a specific person has viewed your story, and post to your profile or highlights without it appearing in friends' feeds.

On the customization side, you can choose from a selection of app icons, customize the font of your profile bio, and pin up to six posts to your profile (up from three previously). You may like Meta's subscription plans
are the tip of a terrible pay-to-engage iceberg and may be the beginning of the end for social media as we know it TikTok is going ad-free in the UK if you pay 3.99 a month for it. Apple debuts new annual App Store subscriptions with monthly payments (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff/Future) A troubling future All of this is new, so you dont lose anything by not paying, and you still have to deal with adverts even if you do pay.

But of course, things could change its possible that, in the future, Meta will let you pay to remove ads (as users can already separately do in the UK and EU), but its also possible that features that are currently free will one day be added to Instagram Plus. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

And if nothing else, it's likely that most upcoming Instagram features will
be placed behind the Instagram Plus paywall.

Those possibilities along with a concept of paying for an app that has
always been free, even if thats fully optional for now have been met with an understandably unhappy response from users.

Under a previous TechRadar article covering Instagram Plus and a possible pay-to-engage future , responses included talk about pricing yourself out of business, let it be their undoing, and I wont be paying, among other, mostly negative comments.

So, it will be interesting to see whether Instagram Plus will actually prove successful for Meta, and whether the company will leave the free features alone indefinitely and continue improving the free tier, or whether Instagram will increasingly become an app you need to pay to use properly. Today's best phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free gift Apple iPhone 17 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 10GB data 19 upfront 34.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/instagram/let-it-be-their-undoing-instagra m-plus-is-rolling-out-globally-and-users-arent-happy-about-the-idea-of-paying- for-an-app-thats-always-been-free


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