Meta is introducing new premium subscription plans for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, offering users exclusive features and customization options. This move signifies a shift in Meta's revenue strategy, now incorporating monthly payments for enhanced social media experiences beyond its ad-based model.
Meta is getting ready to transform how users interact with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. For customers worldwide, including in India, the firm has launched new premium membership options with unique benefits. Meta is releasing "Plus" versions of its applications, which provide paying customers access to features and personalization choices that are not available to normal users.
The action shows that Meta is no longer only dependent on advertisements to generate income. Rather, it now requires users to pay on a monthly basis for sophisticated messaging tools, more exposure, and premium social media experiences.
Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are priced at $3.99 (around Rs 387) per month, while WhatsApp Plus costs $2.99 (around Rs 290) per month. However, Meta has not yet revealed the exact India pricing.
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Advanced Tools and Profile Customisation to Instagram
Instagram Plus customers will be able to create infinite Story audience lists outside of the Close Friends function, monitor how many people have rewatched their Stories, and even preview Stories covertly without showing up in the viewer list, according to a TechCrunch report.
Additionally, the plan enables users to highlight one Story each week for increased visibility and prolong Stories beyond the standard 24-hour restriction. Another intriguing feature allows users to publish straight to their profile and highlights without showing up in followers' feeds, as well as check their list of Story viewers to see who is watching.
Fun cosmetic enhancements are also being added by Meta. Users of Instagram Plus will receive additional profile pins, unique app icons, unique fonts for bios, and animated "Super Heart" reactions.
WhatsApp Gets Messaging Personalisation
While WhatsApp Plus is concentrating on messaging customisation, Facebook Plus is anticipated to provide comparable functionality. Custom themes, original ringtones, premium stickers, more pinned chats, and sophisticated list customisation options will all be available to WhatsApp users.
Meta's head of product, Naomi Gleit, hinted to the company's future intentions to introduce "more fun features" in an Instagram statement.
Additionally, Meta has made it clear that these new subscriptions are distinct from Meta Verified, its current paid verification service that provides customer assistance, identity verification, and security against impersonation.
Meanwhile, Meta’s subscription ambitions go beyond social media apps. The company has also introduced “Meta One,” which includes AI, creator and business-focused plans. The new Meta AI subscriptions will come in two tiers. The first plan, called Meta One Plus, will cost $7.99 (around Rs 775) per month and is aimed at people who frequently use Meta AI for generating images, creating videos or handling longer reasoning tasks. A more expensive Meta One Premium plan will cost $19.99 (around Rs 1,939) per month and offer the same features but with much higher usage limits.
