What's included in the paid versions of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp?

VTV.vn - Meta announced that it is beginning to roll out subscription packages globally for users of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

On May 28th, in a press release, Meta announced the global rollout of subscription packages for users of its flagship applications, including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, while also launching trials of new subscription packages for businesses, content creators, and Meta AI users.

According to Meta, for a few dollars a month, users who subscribe to Instagram Plus ($3.99/month), Facebook Plus ($3.99/month), or WhatsApp Plus ($2.99/month) will gain access to additional features such as profile customization, special reactions, Story analytics tools, and more.

Photo: Getty

In the announcement, Naomi Gleit, Meta's Chief Product Officer, stated that the company will be adding "more exciting features" in the near future.

Simultaneously, Meta will also begin testing other service packages, including professional packages for content creators and businesses, as well as AI-focused packages for all users. These new trials will be branded “Meta One,” positioned as the central platform for the company’s entire subscription service offerings in the future.

Plus packages are designed specifically for each platform.

Meta confirmed that the company had planned to roll out the subscription service since the beginning of this year, with the first trials launched in the spring.

The idea behind these subscription packages for individual users is to provide additional features for a group of users who want a more immersive experience on social media applications. At the same time, this helps Meta diversify its revenue streams beyond advertising by increasing the value derived from billions of existing users, in a context where these applications have achieved global reach and growth opportunities are becoming limited.

The new “Plus” packages are designed specifically for each app, with Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus focusing more on personal expression on social media, while WhatsApp Plus emphasizes personalization and messaging.

However, Meta stated that the new packages will not replace Meta Verified – the current service focused on account verification, anti-fraud protection, and additional support. The company said this may change in the future, but there are currently no plans to discontinue the old packages.

Photo: Getty

Initially, the Instagram Plus package will provide subscribers with additional features such as viewing the aggregated number of Story reviews; creating unlimited Story viewer lists beyond the "Close Friends" option; highlighting one Story each week to increase views; extending Story display time beyond 24 hours; previewing Stories that don't appear in the viewer list; searching Story viewer lists; and many other features.

Users can also post directly to their profile and highlights without it appearing in their followers' news feeds.

Additionally, there are features such as animated Super Heart reactions for Stories, custom app icons, customizable fonts in the profile introduction, and the ability to add pins to the profile page.

These features are designed to better serve content creators and those looking to expand their following and better understand their audience, but they can also appeal to regular users.

Facebook Plus offers a similar set of features to Instagram Plus. Meanwhile, WhatsApp Plus provides additional features such as a customized app interface, custom ringtones, an increased number of pinned chats, customizable lists, premium stickers, and more.

Add more paid subscription packages

Along with launching the new packages, Meta said it will begin testing more subscription plans, making the company's service ecosystem more diverse.

For Meta AI users, the company will be testing two packages: Meta One Plus ($7.99/month) and Meta One Premium ($19.99/month). Both packages have the same basic features, but the Premium package will unlock additional processing power for queries that require higher computing resources.

This means the Premium package will offer deeper reasoning capabilities for complex tasks, similar to the "thinking mode" in the Meta AI app or on the web. This package will also provide additional video and image creation capabilities within Meta's applications.

Meta AI will remain free for general users, but new subscription packages follow the trend of many other AI companies charging for higher usage and more powerful processing capabilities. Meta says these packages will continue to expand in the coming weeks with more benefits for AI glasses users.

The AI ​​packages will begin testing next month, initially in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.

Two other packages for content creators and businesses will also begin testing this weekend in select markets including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand and Bangladesh.

The Meta One Essential package ($14.99/month) will provide verification badges, anti-spoofing protection, and advanced linking tools to help users link to other social media platforms and websites, similar to Meta Verified.

The Meta One Advanced package, priced at $49.99/month, includes all the benefits of the Essential package, plus priority visibility on Facebook news feeds, higher ranking in Facebook and Instagram search results, a prominent "Follow" button on Reels, and automatic follow requests to those who interact with their content.

These packages also support content creators and businesses in directing users to their website or store through links in posts and Instagram Reels, as well as through upgraded Facebook and Instagram profiles with expanded linking systems.

Naomi Gleit acknowledged that Meta is currently still in the testing phase for these AI and professional packages, but the company's goal is to bring everything under the Meta One ecosystem, where services will continue to be updated and expanded over time.

Source: https://vtv.vn/co-gi-o-ban-facebook-instagram-va-whatsapp-tra-phi-100260528120209263.htm