WhatsApp confirm plans for paid 'WhatsApp Plus' subscription

Meta has confirmed plans to launch a paid “Plus” subscription for WhatsApp, introducing a new tier focused on customisation and organisation.

The optional subscription will include features like expanded pinned chats, custom lists, chat themes, and ringtones. Meta says it’s starting with a small test to gather feedback, with a broader rollout likely to follow. A launch date hasn’t been announced.

“WhatsApp is testing a new, optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, designed for users who want more ways to organise and personalise their experience. Premium features include expanded pinned chats, custom lists, new chat themes, and more. We’re starting with a small test to gather feedback and ensure we’re building something people find genuinely valuable,” Meta confirmed in a statement.

WABetaInfo earlier shared more details about the subscription, including plans for exclusive stickers and interactive reactions to messages. These aren’t intended to be part of the service at launch, as features are expected to trickle down over time. With Meta’s statement, it’s now clearer what the launch package for WhatsApp Plus would be.

This is not the first time WhatsApp has taken payment directly from customers. WhatsApp used to be a paid app in the past, in theory at least, with users paying a small fee to access the app. In practice, this fee was often deferred and eventually removed.

Though one of the most widely used messaging apps worldwide, WhatsApp has always been less customisable than direct rival Telegram. Telegram offers customisation of nearly all elements in the app, including the shape and colour of chat bubbles and a selection of launch icons. Telegram Plus extends this functionality, and it’s clear that’s where Meta is aiming.

The company expanded its theming options in 2025 to include new colours for bubbles and additional default wallpapers, and it seems this new Plus subscription plans to take that further.

The move also reflects a broader shift in how Meta monetizes WhatsApp. The core service will remain free, supported in part by ads in Status and from Meta's large purse, but subscriptions offer a more direct way to generate revenue without disrupting the core messaging experience.

If it lands well, and there's a solid chance that it would, WhatsApp Plus could give Meta a new lever, one that balances personalisation and monetization in a way the app has largely avoided in the past.