Meta has revealed that it plans to test paid subscriptions to Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook – with multiple options apparently on the cards.
The company has so far only provided specifics on the paywalled features for Instagram, with no details yet available about its other services …
TechCrunch reports that “core experiences” will remain free while subscriptions will apply to “a premium experience” on each platform.
In the coming months, Meta said it will offer a premium experience on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp that gives users access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free.
Meta doesn’t appear to be locked into one strategy, noting that it will test a variety of subscription features and bundles, and that each app subscription will have a distinct set of exclusive features.
Predictably, some of these plans involve AI features, including ones powered by Manus, an AI agent for which the tech giant reportedly paid $2 billion.
Plans for the Instagram subscription
The piece reports that a paid Instagram subscription will provide access to three features:
- Create unlimited audience lists
- See the accounts you follow who haven’t followed you
- View Stories without the creator seeing that you did so
Maybe that last one will be called SaaS: Stalking as a Subscription.
The company hasn’t revealed details of the planned paid features for WhatsApp or Facebook.
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