Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp will test premium subscriptions

Meta is gearing up to trial new premium subscriptions for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp in the coming months that will allow users to access expanded AI capabilities and additional features. TechCrunch reports that the upcoming subscription plans aim to “unlock more productivity and creativity” by providing premium users with “more control over how they share and connect.” The core Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp services will remain free to use, and the new premium subscriptions will be separate from the paid Meta Verified service that was launched in 2023. Meta told TechCrunch that it will test a variety of subscription features and bundles and will launch each app subscription with a distinct set of exclusive capabilities. The price of these upcoming subscription plans is currently unknown. One of the features being tested is Vibes, the AI-generated short-form video experience built into the Meta AI app. While Vibes has been free since it launched in September 2025, Meta is now reportedly planning to move to a freemium model that locks certain video creation opportunities behind a paid subscription. Manus, the suite of general AI agents that Meta acquired in December for a reported $2 billion, will also be part of the subscription plans, with Meta integrating Manus into its own products while continuing to offer it to businesses as a standalone subscription. An integration spotted by leaker Alessandro Paluzzi is a shortcut to Manus AI on Instagram, alongside a description that reads “research, create, and build with Manus.” According to Paluzzi, Instagram’s premium subscription may allow users to create unlimited audience lists, see a list of accounts you follow who don’t follow you back, and view a Story without notifying the user who posted it. We do not currently know what the premium subscriptions for WhatsApp and Facebook might provide. Meta could be preparing these premium subscription plans to claw back some of the revenue it’s invested into AI. While AI providers like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic charge for higher access to their models, Meta’s Llama family has remained open-source and free. The challenge will now be to persuade users that they need AI features on their social media enough to warrant paying for them.