Instagram recovers after brief outage in the US

Instagram reported a brief but widespread outage in the US, leaving thousands of users unable to access the platform. As reported by DownDetetcor, the Instagram outage started on the night of February 4 and affecting multiple regions. Users were unable to login into the app and they also received feed errors and issues with posting content.The Instagram outage started around 5.30 pm PT and around 10,000 users reported problems with the platform on DownDetetcor. The service tracking website also revealed that around 87% users had problem in accessing the website, whereas 9% complained about the app not working and 4% had login issues.Instagram is now back online and the service is now working fine. Instagram-parent Meta has not yet released any statement on the outage and the recovery of the platform. The outage quickly trended on social media platforms, with frustrated users sharing memes and updates about the disruption. Many flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm whether the issue was widespread, while others reported difficulties with Instagram’s web version as well as its mobile app.Meanwhile, Facebook-parent Meta is reportedly planning to add paid features to its popular apps including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. According to a report by TechCrunch, Meta has revealed that it will soon start testing premium subscription tiers across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The report adds that the company will initially introduce optional paid features while keeping the core apps free for its users across the globe. This move by Meta also marks a significant departure from its long-standing reliance on the advertising revenue.The report also mentions that Meta has confirmed that the subscription tests will start in some select regions in the coming months. The company has not yet revealed the pricing details but stressed on the fact that the core functionalities of the app will remain free. The report also suggests that the rollout will be gradual and the feedback obtained from the pilot markets will shape the final offering of the company.