00:04Hello and welcome to Global Pulse News, a major update from the world of messaging.
00:12WhatsApp is officially testing a paid subscription tier.
00:16After more than a decade of being ad-free and subscription-free,
00:21the meta-owned platform is now betting on personalization.
00:26The new plan is called WhatsApp Plus, and no, it has nothing to do with those unofficial mods.
00:34Instead, it's an optional subscription that lets users pay for cosmetic upgrades.
00:40Think custom icons, themes, ringtones, and notification tones.
00:46In short, it's all about looks, not new functions.
00:51A meta-spokesperson confirmed the test, saying,
00:54WhatsApp is testing a new, optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus,
01:00designed for users who want more ways to organize and personalize their experience.
01:07Premium features include expanded pinned chats, custom lists, new chat themes, and more.
01:14So, what's the most useful upgrade?
01:17Subscribers will be able to pin up to 20 chats.
01:22That's a big jump from the free tier's current limit of just 3.
01:26Users will also be able to apply specific themes, ringtones, and alert tones to individual chat lists.
01:35But here's what's missing.
01:37There is no mention of removing ads from the status section.
01:41Meta started running ads there last year, and those are staying even for paying users.
01:49So, how much will this cost?
01:52Meta hasn't officially confirmed pricing, but early reports suggest, in Europe, 2.49 euro per month,
02:00in the U.S., just 82 cents, and a one-month free trial will be offered to early testers.
02:08Long-time WhatsApp users may remember this feeling familiar.
02:13More than a decade ago, WhatsApp charged a $1 annual subscription fee in some regions.
02:20That was scrapped in 2016, right after Facebook bought the company.
02:26Since then, WhatsApp has made money by charging businesses, not users.
02:31Click to WhatsApp ads and business messaging became the main revenue engine.
02:36And that strategy is working.
02:39During Meta's Q4 2025 earnings call, the company said its family of apps revenue jumped 54% year-over-year,
02:49reaching $801 million.
02:52The main driver?
02:54Paid messaging on WhatsApp.
02:56In fact, WhatsApp alone crossed a $2 billion annualized run rate in Q4.
03:02But don't expect WhatsApp Plus to change the company's finances overnight.
03:09The subscription is currently an early, limited-market test.
03:13With over 3 billion users worldwide, only a tiny fraction will even see the option.
03:20Still, this is a clear signal.
03:23After years of resisting direct consumer payments,
03:27WhatsApp is finally testing the waters, one custom ringtone at a time.
03:32Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
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