Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are three of the most popular apps that come under the umbrella of Meta. Since their inception, they all have operated as a free service. However, things are changing now, as Meta has announced that it is launching subscription plans for all three of its flagship apps.
Subscription plans of Meta apps
Head of product Naomi Gleit posted a video on Instagram announcing that the company is launching new paid Plus plans. Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will cost $3.99 per month. You will need to pay $2.99 per month to subscribe to the WhatsApp Plus plan.
All these apps will continue to function for free as usual, but purchasing the plans gives you access to some exclusive features. For instance, if you subscribe to Instagram or Facebook premium, you will get some new powers, like the option to find out how many people have watched your story more than once. Additionally, you would be able to keep your story for more than the standard 24-hour limit, view someone else's story anonymously, and even find out who is watching your friend's story.
If you buy the WhatsApp Plus plan, you will be able to enjoy capabilities like setting custom ringtones and pinning more chats than you are normally allowed to. Furthermore, you'll also get access to some premium stickers and new themes.
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Note that these are just a few of the benefits you get from purchasing the plus plan of these Meta apps. There are plenty more things that you will get and enjoy if you are a creator. That said, the subscription plans are rolling out globally.
It's not replacing Meta verified
If you have been following Meta's development recently, then you must be aware that the company also has a Verified program. It's also a subscription program that's available for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Its pricing starts at $15, and subscribing to it gets you some exclusive perks like a verified badge, a slight boost to your posts' visibility, extra protection, and support.
Meta has confirmed to TechCrunch that the new Plus plans are completely different from the Verified program, and there's no plan of any of these replacing the other. However, the publication believes that this could change in the future, but for now, both are completely different products and get you different things in return.
Are you really going to subscribe to either of these Meta app plans?
I'm considering subscribing since the features are good.
3.64%
The pricing is high.
5.45%
Social media apps should remain free.
90.91%
55 Votes
Meta AI is also being monetized
Meta AI logo. | Image by Meta.
Similar to other AI models, Meta is also introducing two subscription plans to its AI chatbot. The first one is called Meta One Plus, which will cost $7.99 per month, and the second plan is called Meta One Premium, which will cost $19.99 per month. The tool will continue to operate for free for casual users, but if you want some additional compute and heavy usage, you can subscribe to either of these plans.
Both the options offer almost similar benefits, with the only difference being that the Premium plan gives some extra perks like deeper reasoning and better video and image generation capabilities. The company is going to start testing these AI plans in limited regions, which include Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia, from next month.
Interestingly, the tech giant is also looking forward to introducing two additional plans—Meta One Essential ($14.99/month) and Meta One Advanced ($49.99/month)—tailored especially for creators and businesses. The first subscription will include some of the Verified program benefits, like the verified badge and impersonation protection. The second subscription plan will get you everything that you get in Meta One Essential along with some extras like getting priority in the Facebook and Instagram search results, automatically sending a follow invitation to anyone who engages with things you have posted on Meta apps, and more.
These two plans will be tested in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. The testing will start sometime later this week.
The writing was on the wall
It was long rumored that Meta would soon introduce a subscription model to its premium apps, and that day has finally come. But if you ask me whether I'm thinking of purchasing the new plans, the answer would be a big NO, and there are two main reasons behind it.
Firstly, I am not a creator, and I go to platforms like Facebook and Instagram just for a few hours of entertainment. I believe the perks you get in return for buying the subscription would be mainly beneficial for users who create content on these Meta apps. Secondly, there's no sign that purchasing the subscription will make these platforms ads-free.
And when it comes to getting the Meta AI plan, it's again a no from me. You see, I don't have any such big AI tool consumption that I will need to pay money for it. There are plenty of free tools that do the job for me.
Six-month unlimited plan is now 57% off
$90
$210
$120 off (57%)
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Aman Kumar is a news writer at PhoneArena covering Google Pixel phones, Android features, AI-powered smartphone tools, and mobile tech news. Before joining PhoneArena, he spent over five years writing about consumer technology for publications like MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Guiding Tech. His current daily drivers are the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, while his red iPhone SE (2nd gen) remains a personal favorite. Aman also appreciates bold smartphone experiments and still considers the Nokia N-Gage one of the industry’s most iconic designs.
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