Meta to trial paid subscription features across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp
Meta is experimenting with paid features on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Find out what’s known so far and how subscriptions could reshape these platforms.
Meta Platforms is preparing to test premium subscription offerings across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, signalling a potential shift in how the company monetises its core social media products. The trials, expected to begin in the coming months, will introduce optional paid features while keeping the basic versions of each app free to use.
Meta plans to experiment with different subscription models and feature sets tailored to each platform. The approach reflects Meta’s broader strategy of diversifying revenue streams beyond advertising, which remains its primary source of income but has faced slower growth amid economic uncertainty and increasing regulatory pressure.
Meta has not yet confirmed pricing or a full list of features, but early indications suggest the premium offerings will focus on advanced tools rather than removing ads entirely. On Instagram, these could include enhanced audience controls, deeper insights into follower behaviour, and additional privacy options. Such features are likely to appeal to creators and power users who rely on the platform for visibility, engagement, or income.
The subscription plans are also expected to incorporate Meta’s expanding artificial intelligence capabilities. The company has been investing heavily in AI development, and premium tiers may offer early or expanded access to AI-powered tools for content creation, editing, and discovery. These features would align with Meta’s broader push to integrate generative AI across its products while offsetting the high costs associated with building and running those systems.
Details around Facebook and WhatsApp subscriptions remain limited. However, analysts suggest Facebook’s premium features could focus on content management, community tools, or enhanced discovery, while WhatsApp may explore paid options linked to business messaging, channels, or additional controls for high-volume users. Meta has previously stated that private messaging will remain central to WhatsApp’s identity, suggesting any paid features would be optional rather than fundamental.
The planned subscriptions are separate from Meta Verified, the company’s existing paid service that offers identity verification, customer support, and impersonation protection. While Meta Verified targets public figures and creators, the new subscription tests appear to be aimed at a broader audience, including everyday users and small businesses.
Meta’s move follows similar efforts by other social media companies to introduce paid tiers. Snapchat, for example, has seen steady growth in subscribers willing to pay for additional features, even as its core service remains free. Meta’s vastly larger user base means that even modest adoption rates could translate into significant new revenue.
Despite the potential upside, Meta faces a delicate balancing act. Users have grown accustomed to free access across Meta’s platforms, and there is ongoing concern about subscription fatigue as more digital services move behind paywalls. Meta has emphasised that free experiences will remain intact, with subscriptions positioned as optional enhancements rather than necessities.
For now, the premium subscriptions remain experimental, but they highlight how Meta is rethinking its business model as it navigates changing user expectations, rising costs, and intensifying competition in the social media landscape.