Hajra Naz
Meta is preparing to test new paid subscriptions across its apps, giving users access to exclusive features on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, the company told on Monday. The goal, Meta says, is to offer tools that boost productivity and creativity — with a heavier emphasis on AI.
Over the next few months, the company plans to introduce premium experiences that unlock special features and give users more control over how they share content and interact with others. Meta says the core versions of its apps will remain free.
What’s less settled is what, exactly, people will be asked to pay for. Rather than committing to a single model, Meta says it will test different subscription options and bundles, with each app offering its own mix of exclusive features.
That flexibility appears intentional. Meta is still experimenting, and it’s not betting on one subscription formula to work everywhere.
A major part of the strategy involves Manus, the AI agent Meta recently acquired in a deal reportedly valued at $2 billion. The company plans to scale Manus as part of its broader subscription effort, integrating it into consumer-facing products while continuing to sell standalone subscriptions to businesses.
Meta has already begun laying some of the groundwork. Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who frequently uncovers unreleased features, recently shared a screenshot showing a shortcut to Manus AI inside Instagram — a sign that deeper integration may be coming sooner rather than later.
AI-powered features themselves are also likely to become part of Meta’s subscription experiments. One example is Vibes, the company’s short-form AI video creation tool built into the Meta AI app.
Vibes lets users generate and remix AI-created videos and has been free since its launch last year. Now, Meta plans to move the feature to a freemium model, offering basic access at no cost while reserving additional video creation capacity for paying subscribers.
What paid subscriptions will look like on WhatsApp and Facebook remains unclear. Instagram, however, may offer a clearer preview. According to Paluzzi, a premium Instagram subscription could include unlimited audience lists, insights into followers who don’t follow you back, and the ability to view Stories anonymously—without notifying the account owner.
Notably, these new subscriptions will be separate from Meta Verified, the company’s existing paid program for creators and businesses. Meta says it intends to use what it has learned from Meta Verified to shape its broader subscription plans, expanding beyond verification and account protection to include features aimed at everyday users.
Meta Verified currently offers benefits like a verified badge, direct customer support, impersonation protection, improved search visibility, and exclusive stickers. Those perks are largely designed for creators and brands. The upcoming subscriptions, by contrast, are meant to appeal to a wider audience—including regular users who may not consider themselves creators at all.
From a business perspective, the move could open up a new revenue stream for Meta. Still, it comes at a time when many users are already feeling stretched by subscription fatigue. With streaming services, productivity tools, and AI products all competing for monthly spending, Meta will need to convince users that its paid features offer real, ongoing value.
There is evidence that the model can work. Snap’s Snapchat+ subscription, which starts at $3.99 per month and offers exclusive features, has grown into a meaningful revenue driver. Snapchat+ has surpassed 16 million subscribers, more than doubling its user base since early 2024.
For now, Meta says it plans to move cautiously. The company will listen to user feedback and adjust its offerings as it begins rolling out and testing subscriptions in the months ahead.
