Khaberni - The messaging app "WhatsApp", owned by Meta, is currently testing a new subscription package, similar to Instagram Plus and Snapchat Plus, which allows users to buy icons, themes, custom ringtones, and more features.
The benefits of the paid package are mostly aesthetic, and users do not gain many additional functional features.
Meta confirmed in a statement to TechCrunch that it is testing this paid subscription, according to a report by the technology news focused site, which was reviewed by "Al Arabiya Business".
A spokesperson for "Meta" said: "WhatsApp is testing a new optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, designed for users who want more ways to organize and customize their experience."
The spokesperson added: "The premium features include expanding the range of pinned conversations, custom lists, new themes for conversations, and more."
The spokesperson continued: "We begin with a small test to gather feedback and ensure that we are building something that people see as truly valuable."
While the company has not specified the price, the website "WABetaInfo" indicated that the package price could be 2.49 euros per month in Europe and 229 Pakistani rupees ($0.82) in Pakistan. The site also mentioned that the company will offer a one-month free trial for users.
In addition to features like custom themes and ringtones, the company will allow users to pin up to 20 conversations instead of the current maximum in the free version, which is three conversations.
Subscribers to the paid package will be able to apply themes, ringtones, and specific notifications to their conversation lists.
It is worth mentioning that there was no mention of removing ads from the Status feature, which the company started displaying ads in last year.
More than a decade ago, "WhatsApp" charged a subscription fee of one dollar in some regions, but after Facebook's acquisition, the company canceled these fees in 2016.
Since then, "WhatsApp" has built its business on enabling companies to reach users via WhatsApp, and allowing them to create "click-to-chat" ads.
This has turned into a significant business activity for Meta. The company announced during the earnings call for the fourth quarter of 2025 that its suite of apps' revenue jumped 54% year-over-year to reach $801 million dollars, with the increase largely due to paid messages via "WhatsApp."
The company stated that "WhatsApp" revenues exceeded two billion dollars annually in the fourth quarter.
As the "WhatsApp Plus" package is still in early testing stages in limited markets, only a few of WhatsApp's user base, which exceeds 3 billion users, will be able to purchase the paid plan. This means that it is unlikely to make a significant change in the company's budgets in the near term.
