You can now watch people’s Instagram Stories without leaving a trace …but only if you pay a monthly fee

The new subscriptions — called WhatsApp Plus, Instagram Plus, and Facebook Plus — come with a range of premium benefits for a monthly fee. In addition to hiding yourself from other user profiles, subscribers gain access to exclusive features and scroll through feeds ad-free.

If you're using Instagram or Facebook on iOS or Android, you would need to pay £3.99 per month each, or £2.99 per month if you're using WhatsApp.

Meta says if you're only accessing Instagram or Facebook on the web, then the fee will drop down to £2.99. The US tech firm said this is because "it is more expensive to subscribe on iOS and Android because of the fees that Apple and Google charge through their respective purchasing policies."

However, the free versions of all three apps aren't going anywhere – this is purely an optional upgrade.

Here's everything you'll gain access to if you hit the subscribe button in your app.

Opposite of hiding yourself from users' Stories, Instagram Plus and Facebook subscribers can also view detailed analytics on their Stories, including who's rewatched them and the ability to search through viewer lists. You can also extend Stories beyond the usual 24-hour limit, extending it to 48 hours.

You'll also be able to create "spotlight" Stories, which will allow you to pin a story to the very first position in the story feed for all of your followers. This is similar to what you can already do with your in-feed posts.

If you're looking to engage more with your followers, you'll get access to exclusive "super heart" reactions on Stories, too. These are meant to be more animated than the original hearts you're able to send now.

You'll also be able to post content without it showing up in your followers' feeds. While this may seem counterintuitive, this could be a good strategy if you're looking to reach a wider audience and new followers for your business page.

On the other hand, WhatsApp Plus focuses more on the personalisation of your profile. You'll be able to personalise the app's theme, icon, and accent colours.

This means if you're tired of the app's iconic green logo, you can switch it to something new — such as a navy blue or a lilac shade.

You can also customise profile fonts and app icons across the platforms, along with animated effects for messages.

While you can currently pin your most important chats, you're limited to three at a time. This will now be expanded up to 20 different messaging threads.

If you use WhatsApp for both work and personal chats, the three-pin limit may not be enough. This extra allowance could come in handy if you're constantly scrolling down to locate the latest update on your family's group chat or are sifting through several threads to find important meeting information your colleague sent you a few days prior.

Several new ringtones have been confirmed, too. This expanded collection could help you differentiate your call notifications. For instance, if you're waiting to hear from a family member or friend calling, the specialised ringtone will alert you without you having to dig your mobile out to check.

Beyond the Plus tiers, Meta is also testing a broader subscription system called Meta One, specifically meant for Meta AI users. If you're not familiar, it's a free artificial intelligence (AI) assistant similar to ChatGPT and Gemini.

It can answer questions, write text, brainstorm ideas, and generate images from simple prompts and can either be accessed as a standalone app or can be found built into Meta-owned platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.

Now, two new subscription tiers are in the works — Meta One Plus for $7.99 per month and Meta One Premium for $19.99 per month. UK prices have not yet been confirmed.

Both plans will offer the same features, but the pricier Premium tier gives you more capacity for complex queries. You're meant to get deeper reasoning capabilities in "thinking mode" and more video and image generation across Meta's apps.

Casual users needn't worry – Meta AI will remain free for basic use. The paid tiers are really aimed at power users who need extra computing muscle.

These AI subscription tests kick off this month, starting in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia before potentially expanding elsewhere.

Creators and businesses are getting their own subscription options too, with tests launching this week in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

The Meta One Essential plan costs $14.99 monthly and includes the verified badge, protection against impersonation, and an enhanced linksheet for connecting your various online profiles.

For those wanting maximum visibility, the Meta One Advanced plan at $49.99 per month offers everything in Essential plus some serious promotional perks.

Advanced subscribers can appear higher in Facebook and Instagram search results, get featured in the Facebook feed, and display a bold "Follow" button on their Reels. The plan also automatically sends follow-up invitations to people who engage with your content.

There will be improved analytics too, including competitive insights on Instagram and custom audience data on Facebook. You'll even get alerts when someone reuses your content.