Facebook launches a ‘Plus’ subscription that gives you extra features | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Facebook launches a ‘Plus’ subscription that gives you extra featuresNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsMetaCloseMetaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MetaFacebook launches a ‘Plus’ subscription that gives you extra featuresWhatsApp, Instagram, and Meta AI are getting paid subscriptions, too.WhatsApp, Instagram, and Meta AI are getting paid subscriptions, too.by Jay PetersCloseJay PetersSenior ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay PetersMay 27, 2026, 8:03 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIllustration by Nick Barclay / The VergeJay PetersCloseJay PetersPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.After announcing tests of premium subscriptions for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp earlier this year, TechCrunch and Bloomberg report that Meta is launching a global rollout over the next few weeks and is also starting to test subscriptions for Meta AI. With the new offerings, Meta joins many other tech companies in changing up its subscription plans to bring in new revenues following substantial AI investments — Google, for example, recently lowered the price of its most expensive subscription and threw in YouTube Premium.Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus will cost $3.99 per month, while WhatsApp Plus will cost $2.99 per month. Instagram Plus adds features like the ability to spotlight a story once per week, extend the availability of a story for an additional 24 hours, and preview someone else’s story without showing up as a viewer. Facebook Plus will let you extend Facebook stories so that they’re available for 48 hours instead of 24 hours, among a list of other bonuses, mostly focused on interacting with stories:Pick Your App Icon: Change the Facebook or Messenger app icon on your phone to make it feel more unique.Extend Story Expiration: Set your Facebook story to last for 48 hours instead of the standard 24 hours, so people have more time to view it.Super Reactions: Send animated heart reactions that appear on your friends’ stories.Search Story Viewer List: Find specific viewers by searching by name in your story viewer list.Story Rewatch Insights: See the number of times your story was rewatched.Story Preview: See a mini preview of stories without showing up as a viewer. (Posters are notified that this feature exists)WhatsApp Plus adds features like the ability to pin up to 20 additional chats and use Premium stickers. TechCrunch says these subscriptions won’t replace its paid verification subscription, Meta Verified.Meta is also starting to test Meta One Plus, which costs $7.99 per month, and Meta One Premium, which costs $19.99 per month, and they’ll let subscribers do things like generate more images and videos with Meta AI. This means that the free version of Meta AI will now have usage limits in its Thinking mode and with video and image generation. The company will first test these AI-focused plans starting next month in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia.RelatedYou’re about to feel the AI money squeezeFor creators and businesses, Meta is testing two new plans. Meta One Essential will cost $14.99 and includes perks like the Meta Verified badge. Meta One Advanced costs $49.99 per month and, among other perks, will let subscribers show up higher in search results on Instagram and Facebook and will let Instagram creators offer clickable links in posts and reels. Meta will begin testing these plans starting later this week in countries including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jay PetersCloseJay PetersSenior ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jay PetersFacebookCloseFacebookPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All FacebookInstagramCloseInstagramPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All InstagramMetaCloseMetaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MetaNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularJony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a FerrariValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Google Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadUber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’You’re about to feel the AI money squeezeThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Facebook is introducing a 'Plus' subscription designed to offer users additional features, signaling a broader shift by Meta to monetize its platforms through paid services, particularly in response to substantial investments in artificial intelligence. This move follows earlier testing of premium subscriptions across various Meta properties, including WhatsApp and Instagram, and the initiation of testing for Meta AI subscriptions. The pricing for these initial premium offerings is set at $3.99 per month for both Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus, and $2.99 per month for WhatsApp Plus.

The features provided by the Facebook Plus subscription focus heavily on enhanced story interaction. These include the option to customize the Facebook or Messenger app icon, extending Facebook stories from the standard twenty-four hours to forty-eight hours, implementing Super Reactions for animated heart reactions, allowing users to search story viewers by name, tracking story rewatches to provide insights, and enabling a mini preview of stories without the viewer being publicly identified. Furthermore, Facebook Plus allows users to extend the availability of their stories by forty-eight hours. WhatsApp Plus enhances functionality by permitting users to pin up to twenty additional chats and utilize premium stickers.

Beyond the consumer-facing subscriptions, Meta is testing higher-tier plans, namely Meta One Plus at $7.99 per month and Meta One Premium at $19.99 per month, which incorporate capabilities related to Meta AI. These advanced plans permit subscribers to generate more images and videos using Meta AI tools, and these AI-focused plans are being tested with usage limitations in Thinking mode, indicating a framework for managing AI resource consumption. For creators and businesses, Meta is also exploring tiered plans designed to enhance visibility, including Meta One Essential, which includes the Meta Verified badge at a cost of $14.99 per month, and Meta One Advanced at $49.99 per month. The Advanced tier offers benefits such as higher placement in Instagram and Facebook search results for subscribers and allows Instagram creators to offer clickable links within their posts and reels.

The rollout of these subscription models and AI testing is geographically phased. Meta is beginning to test the AI-focused plans in Singapore, Guatemala, and Bolivia. Concurrently, the testing for the creator and business plans is scheduled to commence in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand, and Bangladesh. This strategy demonstrates Meta's effort to integrate subscription revenue streams alongside its ongoing development and deployment of artificial intelligence across its ecosystem.