Meta announced on Wednesday that it is now rolling out its consumer subscription plans globally for its flagship apps Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The tech giant also said it was beginning tests of new subscriptions for businesses, creators, and Meta AI users.
With the new features, customers can subscribe to Instagram Plus ($3.99/mo), Facebook Plus ($3.99/mo), or WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/mo) to gain access to extra features like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights, among other things.
“What if subscriptions could give you more from your apps? Instagram Plus, WhatsApp Plus, and Facebook Plus are rolling out globally, with more plans on the way for creators, businesses, and Meta AI power users. You may start seeing these come together under a new name: Meta One,” Meta’s Head of Product Naomi Gleit said in an Instagram post.
The announcement was met with some backlash on social media, with commenters pushing back against the idea of paid subscription. “What a bad and stupid decision!!! You want to turn meta into X with their stupid subscriptions???” one commenter said.
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“What kind of garbage is this? Now you want to charge for these simple functions, and next you’ll charge for actually using the apps? Nobody asked for this,” said another commenter on Instagram.
There were also mentions of Meta’s data collection and layoffs. However, there were also some positive comments, with commenters saying “Interesting, the additional analytics will be super useful.”
According to a TechCrunch report, Meta will begin testing other offerings, including professional plans for creators and businesses, and AI-focused plans for all users. These new tests will be branded as “Meta One,” which will serve as the company’s home for its subscription offerings going forward.
The new “Plus” plans are tailored to each individual app, with Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus focused more on social expression, while WhatsApp Plus focuses on personalization and messaging. However, the company said that the new plans don’t replace its existing offering, Meta Verified, which is focused on verification, impersonation protection, and extra support.
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The report mentioned that the Instagram Plus plan gives subscribers access to extra features, like the ability to see how many people have rewatched a Story in aggregate, as well as the ability to create unlimited audience lists for Stories, beyond the “Close Friends” option. It also offers the ability to spotlight a story once a week for additional views, extend a story beyond 24 hours, preview a story without showing up as a viewer and more.
Facebook Plus offers a similar set of features to Instagram Plus. WhatsApp Plus, however, offers other features, like app themes, custom ringtones, additional pinned chats, list customization, premium stickers, and more.
Meta also said that alongside the launch, it will begin testing even more subscription plans, related to Meta AI. Gleit said that Meta is still experimenting with these AI and professional plans for the time being, but aims to bring them all together under Meta One, where they will then continue to be updated and expanded over time.