Back in January, Meta confirmed plans to introduce subscriptions to its flagship social media platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Now, the company has revealed that it has started rolling out the premium plans globally. Alongside these “Plus” plans, the brand is also testing other subscription products, including those for creators, businesses, and those using Meta AI.
Meta Head of Product Naomi Gleit announced these new offerings in a recent video shared on Instagram. While Gleit did not disclose the specifics of these subscriptions, TechCrunch reported that Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus get the same price, which is US$3.99 (~RM16) per month. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Plus is priced at a cheaper US$2.99 (~RM12) per month. That said, pricing for these plans will certainly vary based on location.
More customisation and social features
WhatsApp Plus is already available for some users on our shores. As reported by Amanz.my, the subscription gets a RM3.50 per month price tag, but users can get a free one-month trial. As for the included features, the plan largely focuses on personalisation and customisation. For instance, users can access premium stickers, exclusive ringtones, as well as a selection of app icons and themes. Other than that, the plan allows for additional pinned chats.
Of course, the Facebook and Instagram subscriptions are more geared towards social expression and interaction. Both plans let subscribers see how many users have rewatched their Stories, as well as create unlimited audience lists for Stories. In addition to that, the subscription allows users to extend a Story beyond the usual 24-hour period, and spotlight a story once a week for more views.
It is worth noting that for now, these Plus plans are separate from the Meta Verified system. The existing offering focuses on verification and protections against impersonation, as well as other forms of support.
Other subscriptions in the works
Meanwhile, the Meta AI subscriptions will span two plans, called Meta One Plus and Meta One Premium. According to TechCrunch, the company will begin testing these subscriptions next month, starting in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia. Essentially, the plans will offer more capacity, not unlike the subscription models used by other AI companies.
Aside from these, Meta will be testing plans for businesses and creators later this week. Again, the rollout will be limited to certain regions first. In this case, it’s Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Much like Meta Verified, the Meta One Essential plan will offer the Verified badge, impersonation protection, and an enhanced linksheet for linking their online presence on other platforms. Essentially, it serves to help increase the user’s reach across the brand’s apps.
For those looking for more tools, the Meta One Advanced plan will include the aforementioned features and the ability to be featured in the Facebook feed. Additionally, their content will appear higher in search results, with a bold “Follow” button on Reels. Other perks include optimised scheduling tools, the ability to share access with other account moderators, and alerts for when their content has been reused.
According to Gleit, the company is still experimenting with these features. In the future, these offerings will be brought together under the “Meta One” branding.
(Source: TechCrunch, Amanz.my)
