Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp subscriptions, tests AI plans

Meta announced the global rollout of consumer subscription plans for Instagram Plus ($3.99/mo), Facebook Plus ($3.99/mo), and WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/mo), offering extra features like profile customization, super reactions, and story insights. The company also began testing new subscription tiers under the "Meta One" brand, including AI-focused plans (Meta One Plus at $7.99/mo and Meta One Premium at $19.99/mo) for deeper reasoning and enhanced generative capabilities, as well as professional plans for creators and businesses (Meta One Essential at $14.99/mo and Meta One Advanced at $49.99/mo) with analytics, search prominence, and content protection. AI plan tests start next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia; professional plan tests begin later this week in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. The new Plus plans do not replace Meta Verified. Meta's head of product Naomi Gleit stated that more features will be added over time. The subscription strategy aims to diversify revenue beyond advertising as user growth plateaus.