Anyone willing to pay for a WhatsApp subscription could gain these features

Meta is looking to find ways to make more money from its users, and this became clear when plans for subscription versions of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were revealed.

While it is reasonable to expect that advertising will be removed from these services for anyone who pays for a monthly subscription, what about new features? The ever-reliable WABetaInfo has done some detective work and discovered several additions which subscribers can look forward to seeing in WhatsApp.

The WhatsApp information site explains that among the features and additions on their way to subscribers are new themes and ringtones as well as premium stickers. On top of this, there will also be the option of pinning more than three chats for ease of access.

Providing a little more detail about what paying subscribers can expect to see in WhatsApp in the future, WABetaInfo says:

WhatsApp will also offer an option to customize the app icon. This feature will allow users to choose their preferred app icon from multiple new options provided by WhatsApp. As a result, users will have more ways to personalize the appearance of the app on their device. It’s worth noting that while this subscription plan remains under development, some features and details may be revised before the official release. This means that one or more features may even be discarded if they won’t meet user expectations.

If you are feeling disappointed by these feature, WABetaInfo reminds us that:

It’s important to mention that this is just the first set of features, and more may be added over time as WhatsApp collects feedback. Users can expect the subscription plan to evolve with new options and improvements over the coming months. This approach will let WhatsApp refine the experience to ensure it delivers maximum value. At the moment, the price of this premium subscription is unknown and will vary by country.

The site also has the following to share:

This new subscription plan differs from the one previously announced that provides an ad-free experience in the Updates tab in Europe and UK. Similar to the ad-free plan, this premium subscription will be optional. This means that users won’t be forced to subscribe unless they want an enhanced experience according to their needs. In addition, it won’t affect the privacy principles the app. Users won’t have to pay more for privacy, as the privacy protections of the app will remain the same for all users, regardless of whether they subscribe. As a result, access to private messaging and the core features will continue to be free.

The optional subscription plan that will provide access to exclusive features is currently under development, and it is planned for release in a future update. WhatsApp is currently outlining what the paid plan will offer. Once all the features offered by the paid plan are implemented, WhatsApp will release the new subscription to offer users a richer experience.

At the moment, there is no news about when the subscription service may be made available. For now, some people have the option of joining a wait list to be informed about when they will be able to subscribe, so this is all you are able to do for the time being.