Instagram warning issued to users who watch people’s Stories more than once
Any Instagram stalkers out there, see this as your warning, as the social media platform has introduced a new feature that could make your most questionable scrolling habits a little harder to hide.
The platform’s new Instagram Plus subscription comes with a rather alarming addition: users can now see how many times their Instagram Story has been rewatched.
So, if you’ve ever tapped through someone’s Story, gone back for another look, then returned a third time because you definitely missed something, there may now be a number sitting behind your behaviour.
Instagram Plus is currently offering users a free one-month trial, before costing $3.99 per month, with the price potentially including taxes.
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Alongside Story rewatch counts, the subscription comes with a string of other features designed to give users more control over how they appear on the platform.
Subscribers can see when their Story was viewed, preview Stories without appearing on the viewer list, search exactly who is viewing their Story using a search bar and preview messages while keeping them marked as unread.
There are also custom fonts for Stories and a feature that gives your Story priority so friends can find it more easily.
Naturally, Instagram users have had some thoughts about the latest update, particularly the idea that innocent Story viewing can now come with receipts.
One Reddit user hit out: "Jesus, can I stalk in peace!"
A second lamented: "You guys remember 2010-2013 when it was just about posting photos and videos with filters and everything showed up on your feed (and in chronological order), and on desktop if you had enough posts your profile would have a collage background, and everybody wanted 9 likes so you could get the number?
"Feels like a lifetime ago. We’ve regressed so much."
A third pointed out a particularly baffling omission: "And yet… you still can’t see who unfollowed so you can unfollow them back."
"This is creepy & makes me want to stop using Insta honestly," seethed another while a final social media user quipped: "Stalking IG gonna be crazier."
In Instagram's announcement post shared earlier this year (4 June), the company said: "Instagram Plus is a new subscription designed to give you more of what you love about Instagram.
"It offers exclusive features to help you express yourself, connect deeper with friends, and customise your experience.
"The Instagram you know and love today isn't changing — this subscription is simply an optional upgrade for people who want more."
Tyla has reached out to Meta for comment.
Topics: Instagram, Social Media, News, Technology
Rhiannon Ingle