Inside Meta’s Plan to Bring Subscriptions to AI Features on Facebook, Instagram
In Focus
- The social media giant is testing subscriptions on WhatsApp and Instagram
- Meta subscription features will expand AI capabilities across the three platforms
- The company is seeking to boost revenue through AI feature subscriptions
Meta will be testing new subscriptions on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to TechCrunch, the subscriptions will allow users exclusive access to special features on the three social media platforms. With the premium subscription, Meta will be expanding AI capabilities across the platforms, unlocking higher creativity and productivity in the coming months.
Premium Subscription Will Give Users Control
Meta’s AI subscription features are expected to give users more control on how they connect and share on the three social media platforms. The social media company appears to be applying multiple strategies to offer users premium experiences. Meta plans to test different subscription features and bundles with each platform offering distinct premium capabilities.
As part of the subscription plans, Meta will be scaling an AI agent called Manus. The company acquired the Chinese firm recently for $2 billion to boost its enterprise-grade AI strategy. The social media giant will be integrating Manus in its products.
The company will also continue to market Manus AI premium access as a standalone subscription to enterprises. Meta has already placed a shortcut to Manus AI on Instagram despite Beijing commencing a probe into the company’s acquisition of the agentic AI startup early this month.
Meta Plans to Add Subscription to Vibes
Among the subscriptions that Meta plans to test on its social platforms is Vibes video generation. The company integrated the AI-powered short-form video feature into the Meta AI app to enable users create and remix synthetic videos.
Meta has been offering Vibes free of charge since its release in 2025. Although the social media giant will continue to offer a freemium package to Vibes, users will have to pay a monthly subscription fee to unlock additional features.
It’s still not clear which AI features will require a subscription on Facebook and WhatsApp. However, the new Instagram subscriptions will allow users to generate unlimited audience lists. Users will also be able to view lists belonging to followers who choose not to follow them back, as well as view their Instagram Stories.
Revenue Boost Vs Subscription Fatigue
The premium AI subscriptions are part of Meta’s monetization strategy to boost revenue generation. But despite the revenue potential, the company runs the risk of encountering subscription fatigue due to the growing number of paid services.
This means the social media giant will have to offer compelling products to attract sign ups. To address this risk, Meta says it will gather feedback from its users as it introduces the subscriptions in the coming months.
The new subscriptions differ from Meta’s Verified Program, which targets enterprises and content creators, features a verified badge, impersonification safeguards, direct support, exclusive stickers, and search optimization. The company plans to apply lessons from Meta Verified to grow its subscription business, which targets the wider audience.
