Instagram users in absolute panic over Plus feature that exposes story screenshots
Instagram's new monthly subscription is already causing chaos as people spot a new icon when viewing their stories, leaving many wondering whether it now notifies users when you screenshot in a game-changing move.
Story analytics have remained static for a long while now, with users on Instagram only being able to tell who has viewed their temporary post and nothing else — yet that's all changed with the launch of Instagram Plus.
This new monthly subscription available in a small number of countries gives people access to a number of potentially major new features, and many of them revolve around understanding how people view your stories.
Some are more catered towards influencers and business on the social media platform, but one that's raised a number of eyebrows is the option to see when people have rewatched your story — and it's caused some confusion among the user base.
No, Instagram doesn't tell you when your story has been screenshotted
Rumors that Instagram informed people when you screenshot their story appeared to originate from a post on the r/Instagram subreddit, with a user sharing an image with a suspicious and unexplained icon.
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Questioning whether this icon – which looks suspiciously like a screenshot button – signifies when someone has saved your story, the post sparked equal levels of speculation and stress among users who regularly engage in 'online stalking'.
"We are so cooked chat," declared one user who clearly loves a story screenshot, with another saying: "Next thing you know, if Instagram notice you are stalking people they will shut your account down."
What some commenters have clarified, however, is that this icon correlates to when people have rewatched your story, and will only show up for users that have an active Plus subscription.
It's certainly an appealing prospect for anyone wanting to keep an eye on users who might be regularly visiting their profile, but it's not the end of the world for people who like to save stories with a trusty screenshot.
What other features are available in Instagram Plus?
It certainly wouldn't be out of the question though considering some of the other features available to Instagram Plus subscribers, with the most notable being the ability to 'preview' stories without it tracking as a view.
Some people have claimed that this will help people 'stalk' others online, perhaps for when you're feeling nosy about an ex-partner or when you have a crush, but it certainly helps avoid a situation where you'd pop up with the aforementioned icon yourself.
Alongside this, you're also now able to 'Super Heart' someone else's story to show some extra love, providing the opposite effect for people who want others to know exactly when they've seen their story.
Plus users have been given access to a number of major changes to their posts too, with the option to pin more posts, share posts exclusively to your provide, and even change the font in your bio for added customization.