Meta has introduced subscription-based ‘Plus’ versions of WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook with new personalization tools, extended story controls and premium creator features.

Meta has unveiled a new set of subscription-based “Plus” plans for its social media platforms — WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook — as the company looks to build revenue streams beyond digital advertising.

The announcement was made from Washington late Wednesday, with Meta confirming that the new premium layers will offer users additional customization options, exclusive social features and advanced creator tools. The company, however, has not yet announced a launch timeline for India.

India remains Meta’s largest user market globally, and industry observers expect the rollout to happen in phases, similar to previous feature launches across the company’s platforms.

Focus On Paid Features

The new subscription offerings are separate from Meta’s existing “Meta Verified” service. Instead of identity verification alone, the Plus plans are aimed at enhancing user experience and giving creators more control over content visibility and engagement.

Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus are being positioned largely around social expression, audience management and creator-focused interactions.

One of the notable additions is a feature that lets users track how many people rewatched their stories — a metric currently unavailable on the free versions of the apps.

Users subscribing to the premium plans will also be able to create multiple custom audience lists instead of relying only on a single “Close Friends” group. This would allow different photos and videos to be shared with selected circles separately.

Stories Get Extended Life

Meta is also extending the life cycle of Stories for paid users. At present, stories disappear after 24 hours. Under the Plus plan, users can keep stories visible on their profile for longer durations and spotlight one story every week to improve reach.

Another feature drawing attention is anonymous story viewing. Subscribers will reportedly be able to watch someone’s story without their name appearing in the viewer list. Users may also get search tools to filter or locate specific viewers of their own stories.

The company is additionally introducing quieter profile updates. According to details shared by Meta, users will be able to save photos or videos directly to their profile or highlights without automatically pushing a visible post update to followers’ feeds.

More Customization Options

The subscription plans also include cosmetic and personalization upgrades. These range from custom fonts and premium app icons to animated “super heart” reactions on posts and stories.

WhatsApp Plus, meanwhile, is being marketed around messaging personalization. Subscribers are expected to receive exclusive themes, additional pinned chats, custom ringtone support, premium stickers and advanced chat-list management tools.

Initial reports indicate that Meta wants to create differentiated experiences for users willing to pay for deeper customization and convenience, especially as competition in the social media space intensifies.

AI Plans Under Testing

Meta is also testing two separate AI-focused subscription tiers for users of Meta AI.

The “Meta One Plus” plan is priced at $7.99 per month, while the “Meta One Premium” plan costs $19.99 monthly. Though both offer similar base features, the premium tier is expected to unlock higher compute capabilities and more advanced reasoning tools for complex tasks.

The company said premium users would also gain access to improved image and video generation tools across Meta apps. Meta AI, however, will continue to remain free for general users.

Creator Tools Expanded

For creators and businesses, Meta is preparing higher-end plans under “Meta One Essential” and “Meta One Advance”.

These plans include features such as verified badges, fake account protection, enhanced analytics, scheduling tools and improved content visibility in Facebook feeds and search results.

Businesses may also get tools for traffic growth, moderator access without password sharing and alerts when other users repost or reuse original content.

Industry analysts say these additions indicate Meta’s growing focus on creators and small businesses, sectors that increasingly drive engagement across social platforms.

Shift In Revenue Model

For years, Meta’s apps remained free largely because advertising generated billions in revenue. But the pace of new user growth has slowed globally, while stricter privacy regulations have affected targeted advertising models.

As a result, social media firms are gradually experimenting with direct subscription revenue. Elon Musk-owned X has already introduced multiple premium plans, and Meta now appears to be expanding in the same direction with its WhatsApp Plus and Instagram Plus strategy.

While the company has not confirmed pricing for India yet, the response from Indian users and creators could play a significant role in shaping how aggressively these plans are rolled out in one of Meta’s biggest digital markets.