WhatsApp Plus subscription testing at EUR 2.49/month joins Instagram Plus in Meta's cross-app premium push

This article was published on April 20, 2026 Summary: WhatsApp has begun testing a paid consumer subscription called WhatsApp Plus at approximately EUR 2.49 per month, offering cosmetic upgrades including 18 chat themes, custom icons, exclusive ringtones, and expanded pinned chats, following Instagram Plus which launched in three markets on 30 March. The subscriptions represent Meta’s first simultaneous consumer-facing paid tiers across its apps, part of a diversification strategy announced in January as the company spends $115-135 billion on AI infrastructure while advertising still accounts for more than 95% of its $201 billion annual revenue. WhatsApp has begun testing a paid subscription called WhatsApp Plus, offering cosmetic upgrades including chat themes, custom app icons, exclusive ringtones, and expanded pinned chats for approximately EUR 2.49 per month in Europe. The test follows Instagram Plus, which began rolling out in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines on 30 March with features like anonymous Story viewing and 48-hour Story extension. Together, the two subscriptions represent the first time Meta has offered consumer-facing paid tiers across its messaging and social pl