gurupanguji
“WhatsApp is testing a new, optional subscription called WhatsApp Plus, designed for users who want more ways to organize and personalize their experience,” a Meta spokesperson said. “Premium features include expanded pinned chats, custom lists, new chat themes, and more. We’re starting with a small test to gather feedback and ensure we’re building something people find genuinely valuable.”
While the company didn’t specify pricing, WABetaInfo noted that the plan might be priced at €2.49 per month in Europe and 229 PKR ($0.82) in Pakistan. The blog noted that the company is also offering a one-month free trial to users.
Source: WhatsApp is testing a premium subscription, but it is mainly cosmetic
Ads are coming to WhatsApp. Opportunity and technology are intersecting in a way that will be too good for facebook to pass up on the option.
By early 2027, WhatsApp will market itself as an end to end encrypted messaging app with privacy preserving ads:
- The value of the chat went up: LLMs have a unique ability to infer meaning from chats arming the signals for targeted advertising: interests, intention etc. Those signals improve targeted advertisements - facebook’s core monetization strategy
- Local LLM processing on phones are getting good enough: On-device summarization is already usable in some places, especially in newer phones. As models get better and hardware gets faster, more inferred context can stay local and still feed ad targeting. This means inferred data can be shared with facebook, while still claiming the following:
- all messages are end to end encrypted.
- Data is private and NEVER leaves the phone.
- Data is NOT sold to any third party
- The opportunity is taking share from Google: Google’s developed one of the best money printers in the world with Adwords. Facebook has both the reach, the content / data and now the technology to understand intent with high SnR.
During the peak of privacy theater, I’d have bet that there will be people preventing that from happening. The room is now macho-avarice-alpha-dog-hot-take-land.
Hence my bet. I hope I am wrong. Let’s see in early 2027.