Meta is stepping into the world of premium subscriptions, aiming to offer users exclusive features across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The tech giant told TechCrunch that these paid tiers will focus on boosting creativity, productivity, and AI-powered experiences, while keeping the core apps free for everyday use. This move marks a significant expansion of Meta’s monetization strategy beyond its current offerings, including Meta Verified.
Over the next few months, Meta plans to introduce subscription packages tailored to each app, with a variety of special features and bundles. Instagram users, for example, may soon be able to create unlimited audience lists, see which followers don’t follow them back, and view Stories discreetly. While details for Facebook and WhatsApp subscriptions remain limited, the company promises unique functionalities for each platform to appeal to both casual users and creators.
A major part of Meta’s premium push is the integration of Manus, an AI agent the company acquired for $2 billion. Manus will be embedded into Meta’s apps for everyday users while remaining available as a standalone subscription for businesses. Early signs show Instagram may feature a shortcut to Manus AI, opening the door for enhanced productivity and creative tools powered by artificial intelligence.
Meta is also expanding its AI-driven video platform, Vibes, into the subscription model. Vibes, which allows users to create and remix short-form AI-generated videos, has been free since its launch. Under the new system, freemium access will remain, but subscribers will unlock more advanced video creation options, giving content creators and casual users alike a chance to experiment with AI-powered storytelling.
With social media subscriptions gaining traction—Snapchat+ now exceeds 16 million subscribers—Meta hopes to capture a slice of the market. However, subscription fatigue could be a hurdle, as users weigh another monthly fee against competing services. Meta plans to gather feedback from its community to fine-tune offerings, aiming to create compelling reasons for everyday users, creators, and businesses to join its new premium ecosystem.
source: techcrunch