Meta is preparing to roll out new subscription offerings across almost all of its social media platforms, namely Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, the company told TechCrunch earlier today.
While full details are not clear at the moment, the premium tiers are said to unlock exclusive access to the platforms" various advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools, though the core experiences are said to remain free. The company says that each app will have distinct subscription bundles, allowing it to experiment with different feature sets and pricing models. Thus it is different to the ad-free subscription it already offers in the EU and the UK.
One of the center-pieces of the plan is Manus, the AI agent Meta acquired towards the end of last year. Meta intends to integrate Manus directly into its consumer-focused apps while continuing to sell standalone subscriptions to businesses. Reverse engineer and X user Alessandro Paluzzi recently spotted a shortcut to Manus AI being tested inside Instagram, suggesting that work is likely already underway.
Meta is also targeting its experimental video platform Vibes that launched in September 2025 as a free AI-powered short-form video tool. If you are unaware, it lets users generate and remix clips. Under the new model, Vibes will shift to a freemium structure such that basic video creation will remain free while subscribers gain higher monthly video generation capacity.
Paluzzi notes some of the Instagram subscription perks seemingly include unlimited audience lists, the ability to track followers who don’t follow back, and anonymous Story viewing. However, details for WhatsApp and Facebook remain unclear at the moment, though Meta has hinted at productivity-focused features.
The report notes that the new subscriptions will be separate from Meta Verified, the company’s existing paid verification program. Meta says it has learned a lot from its Verified program, which will help it create a better subscription model for users.
The move indicates Meta’s latest effort to diversify revenue streams beyond plain advertising, which it recently rolled out on Threads as well. Recently, the tech giant was seen greatly cutting back on its Metaverse expenses as people evidently have refused to be on-board with the company"s VR and AR dreams, which is a good thing from users" perspective as clearly many still prefer a real physical experience over something virtual and augmented.
Meta has not disclosed pricing or rollout dates but initial user testing is expected to begin in the coming months.
Ironically, reactions from certain users have been positive, who hope this drives many users, who refuse to pay, away from social media They feel that the majority won"t be looking to pay subscription fees, as these users often simply scroll away their feeds without caring much about what"s on offer.
One user Yellow-Umbra writes, "Please do this - please kill social media forever". Another user stickybond009 says, "Yes please start it so 80% population would be off social media". Both of these comments are heavily upvoted, highlighting that many people agree with the take.
Source: TechCrunch