Instagram tests feature to let users quietly leave ‘Close Friends’ lists: Report

Instagram is working on a feature that will allow users to remove themselves from someone else’s “Close Friends” list, TechCrunch reported on Friday.

The feature is currently in an early development stage and has not yet been tested publicly.

Instagram introduced the Close Friends feature in 2018, enabling users to share stories, reels, and posts with a selected group of followers.


Instagram engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who frequently tracks upcoming platform features, said that once a user leaves a Close Friends list, they will not be able to view the person’s exclusive content unless they are added back again.

Separately, Meta is rolling out new subscription offerings across its platforms, providing access to exclusive features on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

The company has not disclosed a timeline for the launch of these features and declined to comment on their specifications.

Meta's fourth quarter results jumped past Wall Street's expectations due to solid advertising revenue. The company earned $22.77 billion, or $8.88 per share, in the October-December quarter. That's up 9% from $20.84 billion, or $8.02 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue grew 24% to $59.89 billion from $48.39 billion.

Instagram has grown to 3 billion monthly active users as of September 2025. According to its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, the app had more than 2 billion monthly users as of the same date.

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