Meta is rolling out new paid subscription plans for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp as the company looks for more ways to bring in revenue beyond advertising.
The new subscriptions, called Plus, will offer extra features for users who want more control over stories, reactions and app customization.
According to reports from TechCrunch and Bloomberg, Meta will launch the paid plans globally over the next few weeks. The company is also starting to test a paid subscription for Meta AI, showing that Meta is expanding its subscription strategy across more of its major products.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus will cost $2.99 per month. These plans are not replacing the free versions of the apps. Instead, they add optional premium features for users who want extra tools.
Instagram Plus will include features such as the ability to spotlight a story once per week, keep a story available for an extra 24 hours, and preview another user’s story without appearing in the viewer list. These features are mainly designed for people who use stories more actively and want more flexibility.
Facebook Plus will also focus heavily on stories. Subscribers will be able to keep Facebook stories live for 48 hours instead of the usual 24 hours. The plan will also let users change the Facebook or Messenger app icon, send animated heart reactions on friends’ stories, search for specific names in their story viewer list, see how many times a story was rewatched, and preview stories without showing up as a viewer.
The move comes as many tech companies are reshaping their subscription services to generate more money, especially as spending on artificial intelligence continues to rise. Meta has invested heavily in AI, and testing a subscription for Meta AI suggests the company may eventually offer premium AI features as part of its paid services.
For now, Meta’s new Plus subscriptions appear to be focused on small but useful upgrades rather than major changes. The free versions of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp will continue to work, but users who want extra story features and customization options will soon have the choice to pay for them.
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Meta Launches Paid Plus Subscriptions For Facebook, Instagram And WhatsApp
