WhatsApp is experimenting with a new paid subscription tier called “WhatsApp Plus,” offering users enhanced customization options rather than major functional upgrades.
The feature, confirmed by parent company Meta, is currently being tested with a limited set of users. The optional plan is designed to give users more ways to personalize and organize their app experience.
According to the company, premium features include expanded pinned chats, custom chat lists, new themes, and personalized ringtones. One of the key upgrades allows users to pin up to 20 chats, compared to the current free-tier limit of 3.
While pricing has not been officially confirmed, reports suggest the subscription could cost around €2.49 per month in Europe and 229 PKR ($0.82) in Pakistan, along with a 1-month free trial for early users.
Despite being a paid offering, the features remain largely cosmetic. There are no major functional additions, and importantly, no removal of ads from the Status feature, which was introduced last year.
WhatsApp previously experimented with a subscription model over a decade ago, charging $1 in some regions. However, after its acquisition by Facebook (now Meta), the company removed fees in 2016 and shifted its business model toward enterprise messaging and advertising.
This strategy has proven effective. Meta reported that its family of apps generated $801 million in revenue in Q4 2025, marking a 54% year-on-year increase, largely driven by paid messaging on WhatsApp. The platform’s annualized revenue also crossed $2 billion during the same period.
As the “WhatsApp Plus” rollout is limited to early testing markets, only a small portion of its 3 billion+ users currently have access. As a result, the subscription is unlikely to significantly impact Meta’s financials in the near term.
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