Remember the old jokes about Facebook eventually charging people just to keep using their accounts? Well, Meta hasn’t gone quite that far, but it has recently introduced new “Plus” subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. These are now available in Malaysia, but not for all users just yet.
To recap, the new plans offer a range of extra features and customisation options for users willing to pay a monthly fee. Thankfully, the core Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp experience remain free for everyone. According to Meta, these plans are entirely optional and are meant for users who want additional ways to personalise their apps and interactions.
Starts From RM3.50/month
In Malaysia, Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus cost RM4.50 per month each, while WhatsApp Plus is priced at RM3.50 monthly. Subscribing to all three would set users back RM12.50 per month. There’s also a free one-month trial for each.
It’s worth noting that some Malaysian users may not see the subscription option yet. Based on our checks, the rollout appears to be happening gradually rather than becoming available to everyone at the same time.
How To Subscribe?
For both Facebook, navigate to your account tab, scroll down to Upgrades, and then tap on Facebook Plus. On Instagram, tap and hold on your profile on the bottom right, and then select “Go to Accounts Center” when the option pops up. From there, scroll down until you can see the Instagram Plus button under “More from Meta”. Lastly, you can find the option to subscribe to WhatsApp Plus by going to the Settings page on WhatsApp.
Do note that the option to subscribe is only visible on the Android and iOS apps for each platform. As mentioned earlier, not everyone will be able to subscribe just yet, as it appears that Meta is gradually rolling out the feature to Malaysian users. It is advisable to update your apps to the latest version too, just in case.
Facebook Plus
Starting with Facebook Plus, the monthly subscription unlocks six additional features across both Facebook and Messenger. Most of the extras revolve around Stories, where subscribers can preview them without appearing on the viewer list, extend Story visibility from the usual 24 hours to 48 hours, view rewatch statistics, and search for specific viewers within a Story’s audience list. Facebook Plus also adds animated “Super React” effects for Stories, alongside custom app icons that allow users to personalise how Facebook appears on their phone.
For users who regularly post Stories, these additions could offer a little more insight into audience engagement. For everyone else, the appeal will likely come down to how much they value the extra customisation options.
Instagram Plus
Instagram Plus is arguably the most feature-packed of the three subscriptions, offering 11 additional perks to users. It introduces several Story-related tools, including Story Spotlight, which prioritises Stories for friends, Story Extend for 48-hour visibility, anonymous Story previews, rewatch insights, and the ability to search through Story viewers.
Additionally, users can create unlimited custom Story audience lists instead of relying solely on Close Friends. Meta also includes animated Super Hearts reactions that can be sent to friends’ Stories.
Apart from that, Instagram Plus adds profile and app customisation features such as custom app icons and custom bio fonts. Subscribers can pin up to six posts on their profile, compared to the usual limit, and can publish posts directly to their profile or highlights without having them appear in followers’ feeds.
WhatsApp Plus
WhatsApp Plus takes a slightly different approach. Rather than focusing on Stories and profile visibility, it centres on personalisation and chat management.
Subscribers gain access to exclusive sticker packs, custom app themes, alternative app icons, and exclusive ringtones. WhatsApp Plus also increases the number of pinned chats to 20, making it easier for users with lots of active conversations to keep important chats within reach. Additional enhancements include upgraded chat list management tools and more theme customisation options that affect message colours, backgrounds, and other visual elements within the app.
No Ad-Free Experience?
Nope. Sadly, the Plus subscriptions do not remove advertisements from Meta’s platforms – most notably Facebook and Instagram, though WhatsApp remains ad-free. It should also be noted that the company does offer a different ad-free subscription for both platforms, but these are only for the UK and Europe due to regional privacy regulations.
Mostly Nice-To-Have Features Rather Than Must-Haves
Looking at the overall package, Meta’s new Plus subscriptions largely focus on personalisation, audience insights, and convenience features rather than introducing entirely new capabilities. For content creators, influencers, and users who spend significant amounts of time managing Stories and engaging with followers, some of the extra analytics and visibility tools could prove useful. However, casual users may find that most of the features fall squarely into the “nice to have” category rather than something essential for everyday use.
