Meta tests WhatsApp Plus subscription with premium features

The subscription is positioned as an optional add-on focused largely on personalisation

by e4m Staff
Published: Apr 21, 2026 4:19 PM | 2 min read

Meta is testing a new subscription service for WhatsApp called "WhatsApp Plus," aimed at providing optional premium features for users.
The subscription includes personalization options such as premium stickers, custom app themes and icons, enhanced chat management (pinning up to 20 chats), and premium ringtones.
Early pricing for the service is reported to be around €2.49 per month for European users, with final costs expected to vary by region.
Meta is also experimenting with a similar premium subscription for Instagram, indicating a broader strategy to introduce paid features across its platforms while keeping the core services free.

Meta is reportedly testing a new add-on subscription for WhatsApp, called “WhatsApp Plus,” with early details surfacing through beta users.

The feature was highlighted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, who shared screenshots and details of the upcoming subscription on his X account. His post offered an early look at what appears to be WhatsApp’s next step towards optional premium features.

What does WhatsApp Plus include

Based on the shared screenshot and early observations, the subscription is positioned as an optional add-on focused largely on personalisation.

The package includes premium stickers with enhanced visual effects, along with custom app themes and icons that allow users to change the overall appearance of WhatsApp.

It also expands chat management features. Users may be able to pin up to 20 chats, a significant jump from the current limit of three in the free version. In addition, the subscription introduces premium ringtones for specific contacts, along with custom alerts, sounds and themes that can be applied across entire chat lists in bulk.

Overall, the offering is positioned as an experience upgrade, giving users more control over how the app looks and feels, as well as how conversations are organised.

WhatsApp is testing its Snapchat+ style Premium Paid plan ?

WhatsApp Plus!

Premium perks include:

• Send premium stickers
• Change your app's theme
• Choose a custom app icon
• Pin extra chats
• Get premium ringtones
• Upgrade your chat lists pic.twitter.com/EKRRwAghWO
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) April 19, 2026

https://x.com/MattNavarra/status/2045997150467686700?s=20

Pricing and rollout details

Pricing as seen in the beta version for European users is reported around €2.49 per month (approximately Rs220–Rs240), though the final cost is expected to vary by country and region if the feature rolls out more widely.

According to reports, Meta has confirmed that it is testing a premium add-on for WhatsApp. The company noted that the feature is still in its early stages and is being rolled out to a small group as part of ongoing experimentation.

Alongside WhatsApp, Meta is also experimenting with a similar premium layer on Instagram called “Instagram Plus.” Features include the ability to view Stories anonymously, access rewatch insights, create multiple custom audience lists beyond “Close Friends,” and extend a Story’s visibility by an additional 24 hours and much more.

These tests follows Meta’s earlier announcement in January 2026 that it would experiment with premium subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp to unlock additional productivity, creativity, and control features while keeping the core apps free for everyone.