Post: Instagram might soon let you remove yourself from someone’s Close Friends list

Instagram might soon let you remove yourself from someone’s Close Friends list

Meta told TechCrunch on Friday that Instagram is developing a feature that will allow users to remove themselves from one’s “close friends” list. The company says the feature is still in its early stages and is not yet being publicly tested.

The social network’s Close Friends feature lets users share stories, reels, and posts with a select group of people rather than their entire follower base. Since the feature’s launch in 2018, users have not been able to remove themselves from someone else’s close friends list.

The internal prototype was first seen by the reverse engineer Alessandro Palozziwho specialize in finding unobtrusive features while they are still in development.

According to a screenshot shared by Paluzzi, Meta will warn users that if they leave the close friends list, they won’t be able to see that person’s close friends until that person adds them to their list.

While some people will no doubt be offended if others are left off their close friends list, this feature will likely be a welcome addition for those who don’t want to be on some people’s lists.

It’s worth noting that one of Instagram’s main competitors, Snapchat, already allows its users to remove themselves from someone’s private story.

As with any other internal prototype, it is not known if or when Instagram plans to release this feature publicly.

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Beyond updates from nearby friends, Instagram is also working on other new features. Meta told TechCrunch earlier this week that it plans to test new subscriptions that give people access to exclusive features on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

While Meta didn’t share details about what specific features these subscriptions will include, Palozzi shared that a premium subscription to Instagram will allow users to create unlimited audience lists, see which followers unfollow them, and view stories without the poster knowing.

Meta said that with the upcoming subscriptions it aims to give users more control over how they share and connect, while keeping access to exclusive features and core experiences free. The company isn’t locked into one strategy, as it plans to test a variety of subscription features and bundles with each app subscription offering a distinct set of exclusive features.