Instagram Considers Elevating Verified Users in App
It appears that Instagram may have considered copying a Twitter feature by giving more prominence to Verified users on its platform. Recent findings in the app’s code suggest that both the iOS and Android versions of Instagram now include a new feed filter called “Meta Verified”, which would display subscribers with verified accounts alongside the chronological Following and Favorites feeds introduced last year.
When asked about this discovery, Instagram commented, “This is not a feature we’re testing,” according to GamingIdeology.
The company did not specify whether the feature was being internally developed or if it was simply an idea that was ultimately abandoned. However, reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi claims that the feature was added to the Android app (v296.0.0.0.16) released on August 4th and the iOS app (v295.0) released just yesterday.
While Meta’s statement is technically accurate, it suggests that the feature is still under development rather than completely dismissed.
Although it remains uncertain whether Meta will proceed with a dedicated filter for Verified creators, implementing such a feature could have its advantages.
This filtered feed would primarily include content from Verified creators who benefit most from the verification process. These benefits include proactive impersonation protection, direct access to customer support, exclusive stickers, 100 Stars per month to support other creators, and, of course, the coveted blue checkmark — which also carries over to Instagram’s Threads app.
If Instagram adds “Meta Verified” as an option for feed filtering, creators would gain increased visibility. Users who regularly use Instagram’s feed filters might explore the new option to view their favorite creator’s content instead of exclusively seeing posts from their friends.
The inspiration for the Meta Verified feature set came after Twitter’s introduction of Twitter Blue, now called X Premium as part of a larger rebranding effort. Twitter Blue offers various features to enhance subscribers’ posts, including their own Verified tab in user notifications, limited ads, an edit button, support for longer posts, and more.
Paluzzi discovered the new filter and posted what the Meta Verified drop-down looks like on Twitter.
