Instagram is testing a feed that will only show posts from Meta Verified users, according to Instagram director Adam Mosseri. The new toggle will appear below the “Following” and “Favorites” options that appear when you click the Instagram logo in the app.
“We’re testing a way for people to explore their Instagram feed and reels by only switching to Meta Verified accounts,” Mosseri wrote on his Instagram broadcast channel. “We’re exploring this as a new control for people and as a way for companies and creators to get discovered.”
The official announcement comes two months after Instagram told TechCrunch that it was not testing such a feature, after reverse engineering. Alessandro Paluzzi discovered that the code in the iOS and Android Instagram apps displayed a new feed filter that would show Meta Verified subscribers.
Instagram is likely to see the new feed as a way to promote Meta Verified subscriptions and get people interested in signing up, as it now offers them an opportunity for greater visibility. Meta Verified, which costs $11.99 per month on web and $14.99 per month on mobile, gives users access to a blue checkmark, improved customer support, increased visibility and reach in searches and comments, stickers exclusives and more.
Meta is clearly borrowing from Elon Musk’s playbook with the new verified-only feed and with Meta Verified in general. After the Tesla CEO acquired Twitter (now X) last fall, the social network debuted paid verification for $8 a month through its revamped X Premium subscription service. The subscription gives users access to a variety of features, including a Verified tab in user Notifications. The service also includes other features such as an edit button and support for longer posts.
