- WhatsApp Plus is coming to Europe as an optional subscription for €2,49 per month, starting with Spain and other EU countries.
- The plan adds customization options: 18 color themes, 14 app icons, premium stickers, and 10 exclusive ringtones.
- It includes practical features such as pinning up to 20 chats and configuring bulk settings for conversation lists.
- It does not remove advertising: the ad-free plan is separate, costs around €4 in Europe, and essential features remain free.
WhatsApp is preparing for a major change in Europe with the rollout of WhatsApp Plusa new monthly subscription It adds extra customization features and tools designed for heavy users of the app. The service is currently being tested in several European countries, priced at €2,49 per month.
Although the name may remind one of the pirate mods that circulated for years, WhatsApp Plus is now an official Meta offeringIt arrives as an optional paid model that coexists with the usual free version: you can continue using WhatsApp without paying anything, with the same basic functions and the same end-to-end encryption.
What exactly is WhatsApp Plus and how does it differ from the free version of WhatsApp?
WhatsApp Plus is, essentially, a premium plan focused on aesthetics and personalization of the application. It doesn't add radically new messaging features, but it does expand the user's control over the visual appearance and organization of chats.
Unlike the subscription to remove ads which Meta already offers in the European Union, WhatsApp Plus doesn't touch privacy or advertisingThose who pay for Plus will continue to see ads in areas such as the News tab (Status) or on channels, as the ad-free plan is a separate subscription.
Meta insists that Essential features will remain free.Sending messages, voice notes, calls and video calls, as well as the end-to-end encryptionThey remain intact and available to all users at no additional cost.
In practice, WhatsApp Plus is aimed at those who want a more visually appealing app or a more advanced way to manage their conversations. without forcing the rest to payIf you're not interested in those cosmetic and organizational improvements, you can ignore the subscription.
WhatsApp Plus price in Europe and Spain
According to screenshots and data released by WABetaInfo and other specialized media outlets, WhatsApp Plus costs €2,49 per month in EuropeThis is a unified price for the region, with local variations in other markets (for example, around 29 pesos per month in Mexico).
The subscription is managed like a plan of automatic monthly renewal through Google Play On Android, following the usual system of other apps: if the user wants to unsubscribe, they must cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date so that they are not charged for the next month.
According to leaks, Meta is considering offer a free trial period (for example, one month) to encourage undecided users to try the new features. This point, however, has not yet been fully confirmed publicly.
It is important to underline that WhatsApp Plus is not the only optional payment linked to the app in the European Union. There is also a separate subscription, around €4 per month, that allows users to limit advertising by leveraging the EU's privacy regulations. If someone wants both—personalization and no ads—the combined cost in Europe is approximately €6,49 per month.
How WhatsApp Plus is being rolled out in Europe
Meta is activating WhatsApp Plus in a way gradual and limited to certain usersStarting with those using the beta version of the app on Android. The first references have been detected in versions such as 2.26.4.8 and 2.26.15.11 of the test app.
The rollout follows WhatsApp's usual pattern: first a small group of accounts, followed by a gradual rollout to the rest of the user base. There is no official date for its availability on all mobile phones in Europe, although the first notifications have already appeared in Spain and other European countries.
To check if a user can subscribe, you don't need to do anything special: The app itself displays an information screen. As soon as the service is available on that account, that window summarizes the benefits, the monthly price, and offers a button to activate the plan directly.
For now, the initial focus is on AndroidiOS support will arrive at a later stage, following the roadmap that WhatsApp usually applies when introducing complex features: first testing on Android, then wider rollout, and finally, arrival on the iPhone version.
Customization features: exclusive color themes and icons
One of the pillars of WhatsApp Plus is its graphic design. With a subscription, The user can choose from 18 new color themes to apply to the entire application interface, leaving behind the classic green that has accompanied WhatsApp since its beginnings.
These themes are consistently present throughout the app: buttons, chat bubbles, menus, and visual elements They adopt the selected color, so the overall appearance changes completely. Among the options mentioned are striking shades like vibrant blue, fuchsia pink, or golden yellow, along with more subdued and pastel choices.
Along with internal features, WhatsApp Plus also adds 14 exclusive app icons for the mobile home screen. The goal is for each user to be able to adapt the icon to their style: there are minimalist designs in pastel tones, high-contrast black and white variations, and other icons with textures, glitter, or "nebula" effects.
This function has an additional reading: Meta seeks to officially offer possibilities that were previously only available through unofficial mods.Changing the icon color or using a blue WhatsApp was historically associated with modified versions, with the risk of fraud or malware that entailed. With Plus, this feature is integrated into the legitimate app.
The icon change is done through the app's settings, similar to what other messaging and social media platforms with premium plans already offer. Once selected, The custom icon replaces the standard one in the device launcher..
Premium stickers and new sound options
Another of the great new features of WhatsApp Plus are the Premium stickers with special effectsSubscribers have access to a specific section in the sticker store, where packs identified with the creator “WhatsApp Plus” appear.
These stickers stand out because of their higher graphic quality and includes animations that fill the entire chat screen when they are sent or received. The user who receives them will see the visual effect even if they are not subscribed, but they will not be able to save them to their own library or reuse them without paying for the plan.
This approach is somewhat reminiscent of the system of stickers and exclusive content already offered by other platforms, like Telegram Premium. Meta is thus taking advantage of a format that is very popular among users to justify part of the added value of the subscription.
In addition to stickers, WhatsApp Plus adds 10 exclusive ringtonesThese sounds were created to more clearly differentiate WhatsApp calls from other phone notifications. They aim to offer more variety and a distinct identity for specific conversations or contacts.
Subscribers can also assign specific ringtones to specific contactsThis helps identify at a glance (or rather, by ear) who is calling without needing to look at the screen. This sound customization capability is complemented by new alert and notification options within chats.
More control over chats: pin up to 20 conversations and set up lists
Beyond purely aesthetic improvements, WhatsApp Plus introduces some enhancements designed for users a high volume of daily conversationswhether in the personal or professional sphere.
The most striking change is the increase in the limit for pinned chats. While the free version only allows pinning... three conversations at the top From the list, the Plus subscription raises that limit to a maximum of 20 pinned chats.
This option is especially useful for users with many active groups (family, work, studies, projects, communities, etc.), so users no longer have to constantly scroll to find the most important threads. Simply pin them and keep them visible at the top of the interface.
Another important new feature is the possibility of Apply bulk settings to chat listsIf the user uses the list function to organize contacts (for example, differentiating family, friends, or work), they can assign the same background, color theme, or notification tone to an entire list at the same time.
This “bulk configuration” approach allows, when adding a new contact to an already configured list, The customizations are applied automatically without having to repeat the process conversation by conversation. It's a feature geared towards those who want their chats to be very organized and consistent.
Advertising, a separate subscription, and comparison with other services
A key aspect of WhatsApp Plus is that, Despite the monthly payment, it does not remove advertising.. The advertisements will continue. in spaces such as the statuses within the News tab or in the channels, in line with the company's monetization strategy.
For those who want to use the app without ads in Europe, Meta offers a different subscription, around 4 euros per month, protected by the regulatory requirements of the European Union regarding privacy and the processing of personal data.
This results in a tiered system: a personalization plan (WhatsApp Plus) and a plan to reduce advertisingNeither is mandatory, and both are above the standard free version, which continues to function with its usual features.
If these figures are compared with market alternatives, Telegram PremiumEg It is priced higher in many European countries.But it also offers a wider range of advantages (such as increased limits, faster loading times, and channel-specific features). WhatsApp, on the other hand, has opted for a more conservative approach, focused on visuals and organization.
In any case, Meta is clearly inspired by the subscription model of other platformsBut adapting it to its enormous user base, since it's already a product that works massively for free, the challenge will be convincing a sufficient percentage of people that it's worth paying for primarily cosmetic improvements.
In this new scenario, WhatsApp in Europe is going from being a purely free app to incorporating several tiers of optional payment: Whether you're looking for more personalization, don't want ads, or simply prefer to continue as before, this could be for you., you will have room to choose without losing the core messaging functions.
