Meta premium subscriptions are coming, here’s what you’ll actually pay for
Meta wants you to start paying for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, but you still won’t know the price until the test actually shows up in your app.
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Meta premium subscriptions are headed for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, but you still won’t know the price until the test actually shows up in your app. Meta told TechCrunch it will trial paid tiers that add exclusive features, while keeping the core experience free.
The rollout won’t be one-size-fits-all. Meta says each app will get its own bundles, which hints it’s still figuring out what people will pay for in each place, from social posting to private messaging.
Here’s what’s missing right now, pricing, which countries go first, and a specific start date beyond “the coming months.” Without those anchors, the only useful way to judge the move is to track which features Meta treats as premium and which stay part of the default experience.
The first perks leak on Instagram
Instagram is where the early details are clearest. A reverse engineer spotted a subscription in development that would allow unlimited audience lists, show which followers don’t follow you back, and let you view a Story without appearing in the viewer list.
Facebook and WhatsApp are still a question mark. Meta hasn’t shared what paid features would look like there, and it hasn’t said if there will be one bundle or multiple tiers.
Why Meta is pushing paid plans
Meta is linking subscriptions to expansion, especially around AI. It pointed to more advanced AI capabilities and referenced products like Manus and the Vibes video creation feature, which already uses a freemium model with limits for people who don’t pay.
This also looks separate from Meta Verified, not a replacement. Meta said the new subscription tests sit apart from Verified, which makes it easier to sell paid utility to everyday users who don’t care about a badge but do care about control, privacy, or extra creation headroom.
When you’ll see it and what to watch
Meta says the tests will start in the coming months. In practice, you’ll probably notice it as a new upsell screen or settings toggle, not a big launch moment.
If you’re deciding how to react, don’t assume the paid tier will be essential on day one. Watch what Meta locks to subscribers, especially AI creation limits and audience or privacy controls, because those are the features that can quietly become hard to give up if you rely on these apps daily.
Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to…
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