The short answer is that it's a premium Instagram subscription currently being tested in select countries. These countries are a bit far away (India, Japan, the Philippines, and Mexico are some examples), which is why you might not have noticed yet. Now, having answered the question in the title, "What is Instagram Plus?" We already knew that Meta was going to include some premium subscriptions on its platforms, but we didn't know when it would all start. As we've seen with other new features, they love to test things before launching them globally, so first they test "and then we see." Instagram Plus appears to be a premium subscription that gives you access to exclusive features. As Meta confirmed to TechCrunch, some of these features include: being able to view a story after it has disappeared after 24 hours without the user who posted it knowing, and seeing how many times someone has reviewed your stories. You'll also be able to create audience lists for your stories, in addition to your Close Friends list (and Selena Gomez's Secret Friends list). Once a week, subscribers can highlight one of their stories to increase its visibility, making it appear at the top of their followers' story feeds. They can also extend the viewing time of stories on their profile for an extra 24 hours. Finally, in true YouTube style, Instagram Plus users can give an animated "super like" to other people's stories. Users in countries where Instagram Plus is being tested have the option to try it free for one month. How much does Instagram Plus cost? Since we don't have the official list of countries where this new update is being tested, we can only get an idea of ​​the cost of an Instagram Plus subscription based on what's being shared on social media. For example, in Mexico, it costs 39 Mexican pesos, which translates to €1.88 per month. In the Philippines, it costs 65 Philippine pesos per month, which is about €0.95. Knowing this, it seems the price will be around €2 per month. A minuscule amount compared to streaming platforms like Netflix, HBO, or Prime Video, or other social media networks. It's important to know that this subscription is separate from Meta Verified. After all, Instagram Plus is aimed at everyday users, unlike Meta Verified, which focuses on businesses and content creators. Although it might seem strange, the subscription model has been around for a long time, which also contributes to users feeling somewhat saturated, especially now that many platforms are raising their prices. However, it works. For example, Snapchat+, Snapchat's subscription service priced at $3.99 per month, already has more than 25 million subscribers, as the company has announced. And you thought nobody used this app anymore…