Meta is reportedly set to test premium subscription tiers across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, adding new features for a price.
Although social media platforms have largely been free to use throughout their existence, it’s becoming increasingly common to see new forms of monetization. Take X (formerly Twitter) as a prime example, now charging for verification where it was once a free feature for notable users.
Similarly, YouTube Premium exists to remove advertisements, resume playback, and more. Now, it appears Meta is looking to follow in the same footsteps, with multiple premium subscriptions reportedly on the way.
Meta informed TechCrunch of its plans on January 26, 2026. Those plans include testing paid services across its most popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Instagram is chief among the Meta platforms looking to monetize users with premium subscriptions.
Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp set to add premium subscription tiers
There’s no word just yet on when Meta may launch paid tiers across its platforms, but the idea is supposedly to “unlock more productivity and creativity” while expanding on AI integration.
For a yet to be determined price, users will unlock access to a range of “special features.” For the most part, the “core experiences” will remain free, according to TechCrunch. Rather, a recurring payment simply adds to the existing suite of tools.
Let’s take Instagram as an example. According to Allesandro Paluzzi, a reverse engineer known for uncovering new social media features, Instagram could soon allow for paying users to watch stories without letting the original poster know. Moreover, there may also be room for unlimited audience lists alongside an exclusive list that shows you who you’re following that isn’t following back.
As for what else paying users can expect across the board, a large selling point appears to be Meta’s integration of the AI program, Manus, which it recently acquired for a reported $2 billion. This program intends to compete with the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI models.
For now, we’ll have to wait for further details on pricing, launch dates, and regional availability. Though what we do know for certain is that each platform will boast its own distinct subscription, rather than seeing a one-size-fits-all approach.
