According to Bloomberg, Meta is in the process of increasing its subscriptions. Meta announced on Wednesday that the Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp consumer Plus subscription scheme would be promoted globally and that new subscription services for business, content creators and Meta AI users would be tested.
Users of Instagram Plus (US$ 3.99/month), Facebook Plus (US$ 3.99/month) or WhatsApp Plus (US$ 2.99/month) can access additional features such as personal data booking, super-expression and quick insight. In a statement, Naomi Gleit, the product manager of Meta, stated that “more interesting functions” would be added in the future.
At the same time, Meta will test other products, including professional packages for creators and enterprises, as well as AI-specific schemes for all users. Such tests will be launched in the “Meta One” brand and will in the future become a unified platform for Meta subscription services.
Meta confirmed its plans to launch the subscription service earlier this year and began preliminary testing in the spring. The aim is to provide more options for senior users who wish to gain more functionality from social applications. Given the global saturation of such applications and the limited space for growth, Meta can diversify its revenue channels by tapping more value from its billions of existing user groups and moving away from excessive reliance on advertising.
The new Plus subscription plan is tailored to each stand-alone application, where Facebook and Instagram Plus focus more on social expression, while whatsApp Plus focuses on personalization and messaging.
According to TechCrunch, Meta claims that the new programme does not replace its existing Meta Verified service, which focuses on identification, counterfeit protection and additional support.
First, the new Instagram Plus plans to provide additional features to subscribers, such as viewing the cumulative replays of a quick shot and creating an unlimited number of fast-shoot audience lists. Users can also increase browsing once a week by placing a fast-shot roof, extending it to more than 24 hours, previewing the camera without showing it as read, searching for quick-photogram lists to see who is watching, etc. Users can also publish their personal data directly and in a select set without being present in the dynamics of the person concerned.
In addition, there are other functions, such as a close-up super-love animation, a custom-defined application icon, a custom-defined personal data font, and an additional top level for access to personal data. The above functions are designed to better serve creators and users who want to increase their fans and reach their audiences, but they may also attract heavy users.
Facebook Plus provides similar features to Instagram Plus. However, whatsApp Plus provides other features such as applied themes, custom bells, extra top chats, list customization, advanced stickers, etc.
Meta indicated that more subscriptions would be introduced. Meta AI will test the two packages – Meta One Plus ($7.99 per month) and Meta One Premium ($19.99 per month) with the same functionality, but the Premium package will be able to unlock more functions when dealing with higher-calculated queries. This means that the Premium package will provide a more in-depth reasoning capability for complex missions. It can also provide greater video and image generation capabilities in all Meta applications.
Meta AI will continue to be open to ordinary users free of charge, but its fee model is similar to that of other AI model providers, i.e., charging for additional computing resources and more intensive use. Meta indicated that these plans would be expanded in the coming weeks to provide additional benefits for users using AI glasses.
AI plans to start testing in Singapore, Guatemala and Bolivia next month. Two other schemes for creators and enterprises will be tested in markets in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Thailand and Bangladesh later this week.
The Meta One Essential programme ($14.99 per month) will provide certified badges, counterfeit protection and enhanced link forms in which users can link their online image on social channels and networks, similar to Meta Verified.
The more expensive Meta One special set (US$ 49.99 per month) will include all the benefits of the basic package and will be displayed in the Facebook stream, ranking higher in Facebook and Instagram’s search results, drawing attention through the Reels-aware “Care” button, and automatically sending “Care” invitations to people who interact with user content.
It also helps creators and businesses to direct users to their websites or shops through links in Instagram posts and Reels short videos, as well as through enhanced Facebook and extended links in Instagram personal data. These plans provide better analytical functions, including more in-depth competitive insights on Instagram and self-defined audience analysis on Facebook.
Advanced plan subscribers can use optimized scheduling tools, tools to share access rights with other account administrators (without sharing passwords) and send alerts when others repeat user content on Facebook or Instagram so that users can request that the original creator be identified.
Naomi Greit acknowledges that Meta is still testing these AI and professional version plans, but that the goal is to integrate them under the Meta One banner, which will continue to be updated and expanded over time.
