Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions, with more to come, including AI plans
Meta confirmed earlier this year that it was planning to introduce a subscription service, with the first tests beginning in the spring. The goal of these plans for consumers is to deliver extra features to power users who seek more from their social media apps. It also allows Meta to expand its revenue sources beyond advertising by gaining more value from its large audience, as these apps have already reached global saturation and face limited growth opportunities.
The new “Plus” plans are specific to each app
Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus are centered on enhancing social interaction, while WhatsApp Plus focuses on personalization and messaging improvements.
However, the company has stated that these new plans do not replace its current offering, Meta Verified, which is designed for verification, protection against impersonation, and extra support.
(This could change in the future, but for now, Meta is not ending the older plans.)
The new Instagram Plus plan gives subscribers access to extra features, such as seeing how many people have rewatched your Story in total, creating unlimited audience lists for Stories beyond the “Close Friends” option, spotlighting a Story once a week for more views, extending.
a Story beyond 24 hours, previewing a Story without appearing as a viewer, searching the Story viewer list to see who is watching, and more.
Subscribers can also post directly to their profile and highlight content without it appearing on their followers’ feeds.
Other features include animated Super Heart reactions for Stories, custom app icons, customizable fonts for profile bios, and access to more profile pins.
These features are intended to better support creators and those looking to grow their following and understand their audience, but they could also be appealing to heavy users.
WhatsApp Plus, on the other hand, provides different features such as app themes, custom ringtones, additional pinned chats, list customization, premium stickers, and more.
The AI subscription tests are set to begin next month, starting in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.
Two other plans, aimed at creators and businesses, will begin testing this week in markets such as Saudi
Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh.
The Meta One Essential plan, priced at $14.99 per month, will provide the Verified badge, impersonation
protection, and a more advanced linksheet that allows users to connect their online presence across social
platforms and the web, similar to Meta Verified.
The more expensive Meta One Advanced plan, at $49.99 per month, includes all the Essential plan benefits,
along with features like being featured in the Facebook feed, appearing higher in Facebook and Instagram
search results, having a bold “Follow” button on Reels, and automatically sending follow invitations to people
who engage with your content.
It will also help creators and businesses direct visitors to their websites or stores through links in Instagram
posts and Reels, and through enhanced Facebook and Instagram profiles with expanded linksheets.
These plans offer better analytics, including detailed competitive insights on Instagram and custom
audience insights on Facebook.
Advanced plan subscribers will gain access to optimized scheduling tools, the ability to share access with
other account moderators without sharing a password, and notifications that alert users when others on
Facebook or Instagram reuse their content so they can request a credit label for the original reel.
Gleit admitted that Meta is still experimenting with these AI and professional plans, but aims to eventually
unify them under the Meta One brand, with continuous updates and expansions in the future.