Meta Launches WhatsApp Plus Subscription With Premium Features While Keeping Core Messaging Free

KAMPALA — Meta has officially rolled out a paid subscription tier for WhatsApp called WhatsApp Plus, marking the biggest change to the world’s most popular messaging app since it went free a decade ago.

The plan costs $2.99 per month and gives subscribers access to extra features including app themes, custom ringtones, additional pinned chats, list customization, and premium stickers. The subscription is optional and does not change the core experience of the app. Messaging, voice calls, and essential features remain free and accessible to all users, and end-to-end encryption is unchanged.

Meta announced the global rollout on May 27, alongside similar paid plans for Instagram and Facebook. Instagram Plus costs $3.99 per month, as does Facebook Plus. The company’s head of product, Naomi Gleit, said more features would be added to the plans over time.

WhatsApp Plus raises the pinned chat limit from 3 to 20, adds 10 exclusive ringtones, and allows users to apply custom themes and notification settings across chat lists in bulk. Premium sticker packs with full-screen animations are also included, and the animations are visible even to people who are not subscribed.

The plan is currently restricted to WhatsApp Messenger only and is not available on WhatsApp Business. iOS support is scheduled for a later release.

Meta says it wants to diversify its revenue beyond advertising by extracting more value from its existing audience of billions, given the limited growth opportunities for apps that have already achieved global saturation. WhatsApp had more than three billion users at the time of the announcement.

WhatsApp has been free since 2016, when Meta dropped a $1 annual fee it had charged in some regions after acquiring the app in 2014. The new subscription brings back paid access to the platform for the first time in ten years, though this time the core messaging service remains free for everyone.