Instagram Reportedly Preparing 'Stealth' Mode, Allowing Story Stalking Without Being Detected?

Have you ever been curious about someone’s Instagram Story post but felt too proud to have your name appear in their viewer list? It seems Instagram has read the minds of these “stalkers” and is preparing to turn it into a profitable business opportunity.

Recently, Instagram has been reported to be testing a new subscription feature that allows users to browse the world of Stories in “stealth” mode. This means that for users willing to pay, their account names will not appear in the viewer list when viewing someone’s post.

This news first emerged through a TechCrunch report stating that the testing is underway in several countries such as Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. The subscription price ranges from $1 to $2 per month, or approximately Rp15,000 to Rp30,000.

Instagram is also embedding several other attractive features to pamper premium users. One of them is the ability to create more specific audience lists beyond the existing “Close Friends” feature we already know.

Additionally, there is a feature to extend the Story duration by an additional 24 hours. Considering that Instagram Stories usually disappear after a day, this feature will certainly be very useful for those who want their content to last longer without having to save it in Highlights.

Meta’s step, Instagram’s parent company, to enter the paid services realm is not without reason. As reported by Bloomberg, an Instagram spokesperson stated, “Our hope from this testing is to understand what is most valuable to people in a range of premium features.”