WhatsApp has confirmed it is developing a paid subscription service, introducing a new "Plus" tier aimed at enhancing user customisation while keeping its core platform free. The move mirrors similar strategies by rivals such as Telegram, offering users additional features designed to personalise and better organise their messaging experience without affecting standard access.
Parent company Meta Platforms said the optional subscription will include tools such as expanded pinned chats, custom lists, chat themes and personalised ringtones. The company noted that testing has begun on a limited scale, with a wider rollout expected later, although no launch date has 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.
Earlier reports from WABetaInfo indicated that additional features, such as exclusive stickers and interactive message reactions, could be introduced over time, though they may not be available at launch.
The development marks a return to direct user payments for WhatsApp, which previously experimented with a nominal access fee before eventually scrapping it.
Despite its global dominance, WhatsApp has historically offered fewer customisation options compared to Telegram, which allows extensive visual and interface changes. Telegram’s own premium tier has further expanded those capabilities, setting a benchmark Meta now appears to be targeting.
The planned subscription also reflects a broader shift in Meta’s monetisation strategy for WhatsApp. While the core service will remain free, supported partly by advertising in Status updates, subscriptions present an alternative revenue stream that avoids disrupting the primary messaging experience.
If successful, WhatsApp Plus could provide Meta with a new balance between personalisation and monetisation, an area the platform has largely approached cautiously until now.
