Instagram is testing a new feature that could help you cut down on unwanted updates in your feed—but you might need to be extra careful not to offend anyone in the process.
The social network is reportedly experimenting with an option that would allow users to remove themselves from someone else’s Close Friends list. Close Friends, first rolled out in 2018, lets users share content such as Stories, Reels and Notes with a selected group of people rather than their entire follower list.
The potential new feature, first reported by News, is not being tested publicly yet and remains in the early stages of development. According to an internal prototype uncovered by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, users who leave someone’s Close Friends list won’t be able to see that person’s Close Friends content again unless they’re re-added. Meta will warn users of this before they decide to leave the list.
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While Instagram is testing the option internally, there’s still no confirmation that the feature will roll out to the public.
The news follows what appears to be a wave of major updates to Meta’s platforms that surfaced earlier this week. News reported that Meta plans to roll out a new subscription tier across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. This would include its newly acquired AI agent Manus, as well as new features for its generative AI video tool, Vibes, as part of a freemium model.
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Alessandro Paluzzi also hinted at the introduction of a “Super Like” feature, as well as the ability to search users who have viewed your stories.
On Instagram specifically, users may gain the ability to view Stories without notifying the creator, see which followers don’t follow them back, and create unlimited audience lists, features that would be reserved for paying subscribers. As News notes, these upcoming subscription features aren’t to be confused with the existing Meta Verified, which allows creators and businesses to officially verify their identity for a $14.99 monthly fee.
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