The writing was on the wall for some time. Meta-owned WhatsApp is rolling out a paid subscription service called WhatsApp Plus to a first batch of users of the messaging app.
For a price of 2.50 Euro per month (roughly 2.94 US Dollar), the price is not know for all regions), users get a range of extra features. WhatsApp reassures users that all core features remain free.
So, what do Plus users get? WABetaInfo has created a detailed post about the features that subscribers do get currently.
- Send premium stickers – exclusive stickers that recipients also see, but can’t use.
- Change your app’s theme – get 18 new colors options.
- Choose a custom app icon – change the default icon of the app.
- Pin extra chats – pin up to 20 chats.
- Get premium ringtones – ten exclusive ringtones.
- Upgrade your chat lists – enables options to update chats in bulk.
Interestingly enough, this does not change anything else. No removal of ads or improved usability features, which is often part of such a deal.
Related post: WhatsApp is rolling out long-overdue username privacy feature
The main question is, how many users of WhatsApp will find this selection of exclusive features worth the price? Will be interesting to see how this evolves over time. Maybe Meta is planning to take a cue from Google’s playback by moving some features into the paid plan or introducing an ad-free experience.