WhatsApp Starts Testing Paid Subscription, Details of New Features Emerge
- WhatsApp, a global messaging app, is currently testing a new feature aimed at providing users with a personalised messaging experience
- The feature, which comes at a fee, will give users additional features, including custom themes and additional audio notifications
- The feature is currently being rolled out to a limited number of users and is mainly available on Android
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Meta, the parent company that owns WhatsApp, has confirmed it is testing a new subscription tier known as WhatsApp Plus.
The subscription, which is optional when rolled out, will be included in the normal WhatsApp experience, where users can pay to unlock extra features.
Source: Getty Images
According to TechCrunch, Meta confirmed that the test is meant to make changes to how WhatsApp looks and functions, and will not alter how the app works.
“WhatsApp is testing a new, optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, designed for users who want more ways to organise and personalise their experience,” a Meta spokesperson said.
Subscription pricing and availability
The service is currently being rolled out to a limited number of users in its initial testing phase.
A report by WebtaInfo disclosed that the subscription costs €2.49 per month in Europe, PKR 229 in Pakistan, and MXN 29 in Mexico, with prices expected to be lower when it is released to a wider audience.
The WhatsApp Plus service, which is currently undergoing testing, is mainly focused on Android devices, with plans to extend support to iOS users at a later stage.
Details on when the feature will be introduced to Ghanaian and other African users remain unknown, but Meta has expressed its commitment to making it widely available globally.
Features included in WhatsApp Plus
The tool promises exciting features aimed at improving user experience, with cosmetic customisation being the main focus.
Subscribers will have access to custom app themes, custom app icons (different styles), new chat visual themes, and premium accent colours for the interface.
Users will also get stickers and visual effects, including unique stickers with special effects and animations.
Subscribers will be able to personalise audio notifications with custom ringtones, premium notification sounds, and the ability to assign tones to specific contacts.
WhatsApp users with this feature will also be able to better manage chats by increasing pinned chats from 3 to 20.
Source: Getty Images
Meta has, however, disclosed that the core features of the platform will remain unchanged and will continue to be free.
Details on plans for a broader rollout of WhatsApp Plus have not yet been announced by Meta.
Samsung drops list of outdated phones
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Samsung has announced a list of Galaxy devices that will stop receiving future software updates in 2026.
According to Samsung, its phones receive software and security updates for a limited number of years.
The tech giant explained that the affected phones will continue to work normally.
The list of affected devices includes older models such as the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy A52, Galaxy A03, and Galaxy A22.
Source: YEN.com.gh
