GoKawiilScreenshots promoting "Instagram Plus" have been spotted by users in the Philippines and Mexico in recent days. According to social media consultant Matt Navarra, a subscription to Instagram Plus includes several Story-focused features not otherwise available to Instagram users. This includes the ability to create multiple audiences for Stories posts, search the list of people who have viewed your Story, extend Stories longer than 24 hours and create "spotlight" Stories. It also mentions something called “super hearts” for reacting to Stories.
A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the test to Engadget, saying that Instagram Plus is currently available in “a few countries.” The spokesperson added that “preview” would allow people to see some of another user’s Story without “showing up as a viewer”. There’s nothing quite like paying to be sneakier on social media.
The idea, as we’ve seen so far, seems closely modeled after Snapchat+, which also offers bonus features to the app's power users. Launched in 2022, the service has now become a significant driver of non-advertising revenue for the company.
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– Mat Smith
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
RIP headphone jack.
Apple has been around for fifty years. It reimagined personal computers, catalyzed the era of the smartphone, enlarged an iPhone and called it the iPad and garnered a strong position in wearable tech through its Watch series and its AirPods. It also popularized software and services like its App Store, FaceTime, iCloud, iMessages and many more.
However, Apple gives and it takes away. For the MacBook Air to exist, the disk drive had to go; ditching the home button led to edge-to-edge iPhone screens. The weight of Apple's influence has led to entire product categories following suit. Or, more typically, there's resistance, complaining and (eventually) following suit.
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