Nigerians to Pay as WhatsApp Begins Testing Paid Feature
- WhatsApp is testing a new subscription service called WhatsApp Plus
- The plan offers features like custom themes, premium stickers, and app icon changes
- The service is currently limited to select users and is mainly available on Android
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
WhatsApp has confirmed it is testing a new subscription service, WhatsApp Plus, offering users access to additional customisation and messaging tools for a monthly fee.
According to available details, the service is currently being rolled out to a limited number of users as part of an early testing phase, GSMArena.com reported.
Source: Getty Images
Subscription pricing and availability
The platform, owned by Meta, has set different pricing tiers across regions. The subscription costs €2.49 per month in Europe, PKR 229 in Pakistan, and MXN 29 in Mexico.
The feature is not yet widely available, as testing is ongoing. It is currently focused on Android devices, with plans to extend support to iOS users at a later stage. It is not clear when the update will get to Nigerian users yet, but Meta says it is committed to making it available to as many subscribers as possible.
Features included in WhatsApp Plus
Subscribers to WhatsApp Plus will have access to a range of new features designed to enhance user experience. These include exclusive premium stickers, the option to customise app themes with up to 18 colour choices, and the ability to change the app icon displayed on a device.
The service also expands chat management capabilities. Users can pin up to 20 conversations, compared to the standard limit of three for non-subscribers.
In addition, subscribers will gain access to 10 premium ringtones and tools that allow bulk application of settings across multiple chats and groups. For example, users can assign a specific theme to a custom chat list, which will automatically apply to any new conversations added to that list.
Core features remain unchanged
WhatsApp noted that all essential features on the platform, including end-to-end encryption, will remain free for all users. The company emphasised that the subscription introduces entirely new features rather than restricting existing ones behind a paywall.
The broader rollout timeline for WhatsApp Plus has not yet been announced.
Source: UGC
WhatsApp launches new feature for groups
Legit.ng earlier reported that WhatsApp has introduced a new feature that allows new group members to view recent messages sent before they joined. The update, now available on Android and iOS, is designed to help newcomers catch up on conversations without needing to ask for screenshots or summaries from existing members.
Previously, anyone joining a group chat could only see messages sent after their arrival, which often made catching up in busy groups difficult.
The new “Group Message History” feature allows group admins and existing members to forward between 25 and 100 recent messages to newcomers, helping them catch up on the conversation. This new feature has been a major request by WhatsApp users for a long time, and it is now finally available.
Source: Legit.ng
