After a few months of discreet public testing, Meta is now rolling out a subscription tier with exclusive features for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The paid “Plus” version of each app includes features that unsubscribed users cannot access, such as the ability to view detailed statistics on Instagram or Facebook Stories, extend disappearing posts for more than 24 hours, and access personalized themes and reactions.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus each cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus costs $2.99 per month. Meta also plans to begin testing additional subscription offerings for its AI, Pro, and Creator accounts, and this new testing ground for monthly payment systems is called Meta One.
Screenshots from the testing phase of Instagram Plus began appearing online in late March, showing a suite of features not available in the standard app. Testers were able to select multiple audiences for story posts, view information about who reviewed a story, search viewer lists, extend a story for more than a day, and create “flagship” stories. There was also a new “super heart” reaction reserved for Instagram Plus users, and the ability to watch part of another user’s story without appearing as a viewer.
These teased features are rolling out today, along with the ability to post without appearing in your followers’ feeds. Facebook Plus includes similar subscription benefits, while WhatsApp Plus offers app themes, exclusive ringtones, personalization features, enhanced stickers, additional pinned chats and other bonuses.
The new Meta One brand will host all of Meta’s testing with subscription plans, covering its apps, AI efforts, and creator and enterprise accounts. For example, Meta is testing a freemium model for Meta AI, introducing usage limits on extended reasoning and thinking, and also setting paid caps for image and video generation in the company’s apps. Meta AI will remain free to some extent, but its more complex uses will be limited to certain levels, Meta said.
Additionally, under Meta One, the company is testing new subscription plans for businesses and creators, considering revamping Meta Verified.
