WhatsApp Plus, Meta's first paid tier for the messaging app, is rolling out to iPhone users this week after a month of Android beta testing. The subscription is purely cosmetic: custom themes, app icons, premium stickers, and a higher chat pin limit.
Nothing about messaging, calls, or encryption changes.
WABetaInfo reports the rollout is tied to the latest WhatsApp version on the App Store and is currently reaching a limited group of users. Availability depends on account and region, with broader access expected over the coming weeks. The subscription costs €2.49 per month in Europe. Meta hasn't confirmed US pricing, but the European figure suggests a $2.49 to $2.99 range. In Mexico, it's priced at $29, and PKR 229 in Pakistan. Some eligible users may see a one-week or one-month free trial.
Subscribers get 18 accent colors to replace WhatsApp's default green interface, 14 alternate app icons (from minimal outlines to glitter designs), premium sticker packs with animated overlay effects visible to all recipients, and 10 new ringtones. The pinned chat limit jumps from 3 to 20.
MacRumors notes the plan is "light on practical features" and aimed at users who want more control over the app's appearance. The most functional upgrade involves chat lists. Subscribers can apply a single theme, alert tone, and ringtone to all conversations within a custom list, making it possible to keep consistent settings across work chats or family groups.
WhatsApp Plus is only available on WhatsApp Messenger, not WhatsApp Business. Free users lose nothing: messaging, voice and video calls, status updates, and end-to-end encryption remain unchanged.
Premium stickers appear as a temporary overlay animation when received from a subscriber, even for non-subscribers.
Meta's broader push toward paid subscriptions across its apps is still taking shape. Earlier this year, the company confirmed to TechCrunch it's working on premium tiers for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. A separate WhatsApp subscription that would remove ads from Status and Channels is also in development, distinct from WhatsApp Plus. For now, WhatsApp Plus looks a lot like Telegram Premium: optional, cosmetic, and cheap enough that heavy users won't think twice. Whether enough of them actually pay up will determine if this becomes a real revenue stream or a quiet experiment that fades out.
