Instagram to Let Users Opt-Out of Close Friends Lists
Instagram is currently building a tool that will grant users the ability to remove themselves from another person’s “Close Friends” list, a development confirmed by Meta to TechCrunch on Friday. While the project is currently in its early stages, it marks a significant shift for the platform, which has historically restricted this control to the list creator.
Since the introduction of the Close Friends feature in 2018, users have lacked a direct way to opt-out of these curated circles. If implemented, this update would align Instagram more closely with competitors like Snapchat, which already permits users to remove themselves from private stories.
How the Feature Works
The existence of the internal prototype was first identified by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi. Based on his findings, the user experience will include a clear warning:
- If a user chooses to leave a list, they will immediately lose access to that person’s Close Friends content.
- Access to these private Stories, Reels, and posts cannot be regained unless the original list owner manually adds the user back.
Although there is no public testing timeline and no guarantee that the feature will see a full rollout, it addresses a common user pain point regarding unwanted inclusion in private social circles.
Broader Subscription Plans
This update is part of a wider push by Meta to introduce new subscription-based models across its family of apps, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. According to Meta, the company intends to test various bundles that provide users with exclusive features while maintaining the core functionality of the platforms for free.
Leaked details from Paluzzi suggest that potential premium subscription perks for Instagram could include:
- Creation of unlimited audience lists.
- Identification of followers who do not follow the user back.
- The ability to view Stories anonymously.
Meta has indicated that its primary goal with these subscription initiatives is to provide more granular control over connectivity and sharing, though the specific feature sets for each platform remain under development.