The days when the use of the world's largest social networks was completely free are coming to an end, at least for anyone interested in advanced tools. Meta is globally launching a new monthly subscription model for its three leading applications, with the aim of generating steady and broad revenue streams directly from its billions of users around the world. The new packages, called Facebook Plus, Instagram Plus, and WhatsApp Plus, will offer unique features, customization options, and advanced tools for content management that will not be accessible to users on the regular free track.
According to a report on the TechCrunch website, the new subscriptions for Facebook Plus and Instagram Plus will be launched at a cost of 3.99 dollars a month for each platform separately. The primary value that the company offers to paying users focuses on a significant upgrade of the user experience in Stories. Among other things, Instagram Plus subscribers will be able to receive cumulative data on the number of people who viewed their Story an additional time, actively search for names within the viewers list, and even preview the Stories of others without appearing in the list of users who viewed the content.
Beyond analytical tools, the paid track will allow users to generate unlimited defined audience lists, beyond the basic "Close Friends" option. Subscribers will also be able to extend the duration of the Story's exposure beyond 24 hours, and highlight one Story per week to try and achieve broad exposure and additional views for it. Another dedicated feature will allow publishing content directly to the profile page or the Highlights area, without the publication appearing in the general feed of followers.
Alongside the changes in content management, the packages include a series of cosmetic tools for account design. These include access to special "Super Heart" animations in responses to Stories, the option to change the application icon on the device's home screen, the use of customized fonts in the bio area, and the option to pin additional posts to the top of the profile. The Facebook Plus feature package is expected to offer similar capabilities.
Meta has not yet released the full list of features for each of the subscription tracks, but it is expected to do so soon. The company clarifies that this is a dynamic program and that additional features will be added to these tracks down the line. The subscription plans are now being released gradually around the world, and as soon as they become available, the option to join them will appear directly inside the settings menu in the Facebook and Instagram applications.