Earlier this year, preliminary leaks and rumors pointed at the world’s most-used messaging app experimenting with something we haven’t seen in its almost two-decade-long history.
The messaging app I’m talking about is WhatsApp, and early leaks indicated that it was experimenting with a paid subscription.
Turns out those ‘early’ leaks we got last month weren’t all that early, as WhatsApp has already started rolling out ‘WhatsApp Plus’ to some users.
The development was highlighted by the folks over at WABetaInfo and by user elly-hacen on Reddit.
It’s worth noting that WhatsApp as it is now will remain free for all users. The paid plan is only for those that want extra features and a more personalized messaging experience.
The new plan, which is only available for WhatsApp Messenger users (and not WhatsApp Business), unlocks the following:
- Premium stickers.
- The option to change your app’s theme.
- New custom app icons.
- The option to pin extra chats.
- Premium ringtones.
- And, the option to upgrade your chat lists.
Expect WhatsApp Plus to be a relatively low-cost subscription
WABetaInfo’s screenshot suggests a €2.49 per month price in Europe. The Reddit example, on the other hand, highlights the price as PKR 229.00 per month in Pakistan. This suggests that each region will have its own plan cost. Regardless, it is expected to be relatively low-cost in most regions.
The plan hasn’t rolled out widely just yet. However, just the fact that the subscription has started rolling out to some is good new for those looking for a supercharged WhatsApp experience.
We’ll have more to share once the plan expands widely.
