WhatsApp Plus iPhone Customization Arrives with New Themes, Icons
WhatsApp Plus, a paid subscription for extensive customization options, has begun rolling out to iOS users. The new tier offers premium features like custom themes, icons, and increased chat limits.
WhatsApp has begun making its premium subscription, known as WhatsApp Plus, available to iPhone users worldwide. Initially tested with a select group, the new offering focuses on personalization, allowing users to significantly alter the appearance and some functional aspects of the popular messaging application. This move marks a significant step for Meta-owned WhatsApp in exploring monetization beyond its core services.
The WhatsApp Plus subscription introduces a range of aesthetic upgrades. Users can now choose from 14 distinct app icons, moving beyond the standard green branding to options that include minimalist designs and more artistic, even glittering, choices. Complementing these are 18 accent colors that can be applied across the app's interface, replacing the default green. Additionally, the service provides access to premium sticker packs featuring full-screen overlay animations, which are visible to recipients regardless of whether they also subscribe to WhatsApp Plus.
Beyond visual enhancements, the subscription tier also brings functional improvements. The limit for pinned chats has been expanded from three to twenty, allowing users to keep more conversations readily accessible. A selection of 10 new ringtones is also included, and subscribers can apply theme, alert tone, and ringtone settings in bulk across their chat lists, streamlining personalization efforts.
Expanding Personalization Options
The rollout of WhatsApp Plus aims to cater to users who desire a more personalized messaging experience. "The plan is light on practical features, and is aimed more at heavier users who want to customize various aspects of the WhatsApp experience," reported WABetaInfo, which first detailed the subscription's arrival on iOS. This indicates a strategy to engage power users and offer them enhanced control over their app's look and feel.
The subscription is priced at €2.49 per month in Europe and $29 in Mexico, though pricing may vary in other regions. Some eligible users might also qualify for a free trial period, either one week or one month, depending on their location. Importantly, the subscription is exclusively for regular WhatsApp users; those with a WhatsApp Business account will not see the option to subscribe.
Despite the addition of these premium features, WhatsApp's fundamental functionality remains unchanged and free for all users. Core features such as messaging, voice and video calls, status updates, and the end-to-end encryption that ensures user privacy, are still universally available. WhatsApp Plus is positioned as an optional add-on that enhances the user experience without restricting access to existing features or compromising the platform's core security and communication capabilities.
The current rollout is limited to a segment of iOS users who have updated their application to the latest version available on the App Store. Broader availability across more devices and regions is anticipated in the coming weeks as the company monitors the initial launch. This expansion into paid customization marks a new chapter for WhatsApp as it seeks to diversify its revenue streams while maintaining its commitment to providing a free, secure messaging service for billions globally.