Instagram is currently in the works of developing a new feature that will allow users to remove themselves from someone’s “Close Friends” list, as confirmed by Meta to JS on Friday. This feature is still in the early stages of development and has not been publicly tested yet.
The Close Friends feature on the social network enables users to share their Stories, Reels, and posts with a select group of individuals rather than their entire follower base. Since its introduction back in 2018, users have not had the ability to remove themselves from someone else’s Close Friends list.
A reverse engineer named Alessandro Paluzzi was the first to spot the internal prototype of this upcoming feature. According to a screenshot shared by Paluzzi, Meta will notify users that if they choose to leave a Close Friends list, they will no longer have access to that person’s Close Friends content unless they are added back to the list.
While some individuals may feel slighted if they are removed from a Close Friends list, the feature is likely to be well-received by those who prefer not to be included on certain lists. It is interesting to note that Snapchat, a competitor to Instagram, already offers a similar feature that allows users to remove themselves from someone’s private story.
As with any internal prototype, it is unclear when or if Instagram intends to release this feature to the public. In addition to the Close Friends update, Instagram is also working on other new features. Meta revealed to JS that they plan to test new subscriptions that will provide users with access to exclusive features on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
While specific details about these subscriptions have not been disclosed by Meta, Paluzzi shared that a premium subscription on Instagram will offer users the ability to create unlimited audience lists, identify followers who do not follow them back, and view Stories incognito. Meta’s intention with these upcoming subscriptions is to offer users special features and greater control over their sharing and connections while keeping the core experiences free.
It is evident that Meta is exploring various subscription features and bundles for each app, with each subscription offering a unique set of exclusive features. The company’s goal is to provide users with enhanced experiences while maintaining the free accessibility to their core services.
