After a few months of hush-hush public testing, today Meta is rolling out a subscription-based tier with exclusive features for Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The paywalled “Plus” version of each app includes features that unsubscribed users can’t access, such as the ability to view detailed stats on Instagram or Facebook Stories, extend vanishing posts for longer than 24 hours, and access custom themes and reactions.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus each cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus is $2.99 a month. Meta also plans to start testing additional subscription offerings for its AI, business and creator accounts, and this new proving ground for monthly payment systems is being called Meta One.
Screenshots from the Instagram Plus testing phase started appearing online in late March, showing a suite of features not available in the standard app. Testers were able to select multiple audiences for Stories posts, view information about who rewatched a Story, search through lists of viewers, extend a Story for longer than a day and create “spotlight” Stories. There was also a new “super heart” reaction just for Instagram Plus users, and the ability to watch part of another user’s Story without showing up as a viewer.
These teased features are rolling out today, alongside the ability to post without appearing in your followers’ feeds. Facebook Plus includes similar subscription benefits, while WhatsApp Plus has app themes, exclusive ringtones, customization features, upgraded stickers, additional pinned chats and other bonuses.
The new Meta One brand will house all of Meta’s tests with subscription plans, covering its apps, AI endeavors, and creator and business accounts. For example, Meta is testing a freemium model for Meta AI, introducing usage limits on extended reasoning and Thinking mode, and also setting paywalled caps on image and video generation across the company’s apps. Meta AI will remain free in some capacity, but its more complex uses will be locked to certain tiers, Meta clarified.
Additionally under Meta One, the company is testing fresh subscription plans for businesses and creators, with a look at revamping Meta Verified.
