Technology
Instagram adding new ‘SUPER Follow’ feature where you pay money to see pics
INSTAGRAM is working on adding a “Super Follow” style feature that gets you exclusive photos.
That’s according to leaked photos of a prototype feature that have since been verified by Instagram.
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InstagramInstagram is testing new ways to follow people[/caption]
Normally when you follow someone on Instagram, you get access to all of their photos and videos.
But Instagram is testing a new Twitter-style Super Follow that would require payment, as revealed by developer Alessandro Paluzzi.
This would get you access to extra photos or videos, similar to a service like OnlyFans.
This paid-for content is being branded as “Exclusive Stories”.
They’re coloured purple rather than the current red (or green for Close Friends).
A normal user clicking these Exclusive Stories would be warned that they need to be members.
It’s unclear how much the fee would be.
A service like OnlyFans allows creators to set their own prices.
That means it’s possible to have low prices and aim for scale, or high prices with just a few followers – or both.
Instagram – the key facts
Here’s what you need to know…
Instagram is a social network for sharing photos and videos
It was created back in October 2010 as an iPhone-exclusive app
A separate version for Android devices was released 18 months later
The app rose to popularity thanks to its filters system, which lets you quickly edit your photos with cool effects
When it first launched, users could only post square 1:1 ratio images, but that rule was changed in 2015
In 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for $1billion in cash and stock
In 2018, some analysts believe the app is worth closer to $100billion
In October 2015, Instagram confirmed that more than 40billion photos had been uploaded to the app
And in 2018, Instagram revealed that more than a billion people were using the app every month
Meanwhile, Twitch has a set subscription fee of $5, so creators try to attract as many followers as possible.
Instagram hasn’t formally announced the new feature, and there’s no word about when it’ll land.
It’s possible that the feature could even be scrapped before launch.
However, given that rivals are offering similar features, it seems unlikely that Instagram will kill it off.
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In other news, Microsoft has revealed its highly anticipated Windows 11software.
Instagram is making it easier for you to publicly display your pronouns on your profile.
And, Facebook is facing backlash in the US over plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13.
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