For years, the name WhatsApp Plus carried a rebellious undertone. It was the forbidden fruit of Android messaging, a modded app that offered unparalleled freedom before Meta aggressively cracked down on it. Now, in a fascinating twist of irony, WhatsApp Plus is making a comeback. But this time, it’s entirely official, and it’s going to cost you.
As we reported last month, WhatsApp has been developing an optional subscription plan aimed at power users. Thanks to new details uncovered by WABetaInfo, we now know the premium tier will officially be dubbed WhatsApp Plus, and it is currently under active development for both Android and iOS.
What the official WhatsApp Plus brings
Unlike the ad-free subscription Meta has tested in other regions, WhatsApp Plus is focused purely on feature enhancement, convenience, and personalization. According to the latest leaks, here is what subscribers can expect when the plan rolls out:
- Deep customization: Subscribers will get the ability to change the app theme, tweak accent colors across the UI, and choose from a selection of 14 new custom home screen icons.
- Pin up to 20 chats: Currently, free users are artificially limited to pinning just three conversations. WhatsApp Plus blows this out of the water, allowing up to 20 pinned chats. For Kenyan business owners managing multiple client threads or keeping track of various Chama groups, this flexibility alone could justify the price of admission.
- Exclusive ringtones & stickers: The tier will introduce a set of exclusive, stylised ringtones, making it easier to distinguish your WhatsApp calls from regular phone calls or other apps depending on your mood. Plus users will also get access to exclusive sticker packs and more immersive, interactive message reactions.
Meta emphasizes that this plan is strictly optional. All core functionalities, including messaging, voice and video calls, media sharing, and end-to-end encryption, will remain completely free and unchanged for everyone else.
A blast from the modded past
For older Android enthusiasts, the “WhatsApp Plus” moniker is a heavy dose of nostalgia. Back in 2015, before the official app even adopted modern design guidelines, the unofficial WhatsApp+ (and later GBWhatsApp) was the holy grail of messaging in Kenya.
Back then, users sideloaded the modded APK simply because it offered things the official app refused to. The old, unofficial WhatsApp Plus was famous for its theme engine, letting users completely overhaul the chat interface with custom colours. It also broke early file-sharing limits, allowing users to send 50MB videos and uncompressed images. These features eventually, albeit slowly, forced the official app to evolve and increase its own limits.
Perhaps most notoriously, the original WhatsApp Plus pioneered ultimate privacy controls. It let users freeze their last seen status and hide the dreaded read-receipt blue ticks long before Meta officially adopted those toggles to save our relationships. Ultimately, Meta cracked down hard on third-party clients, threatening lifetime bans and forcing popular mods like GBWhatsApp to shut down in 2019.
Seeing Meta resurrect the WhatsApp Plus name to formally sell the very customization features that users once modded their apps to get is a fascinating full-circle moment.
Will you pay for it?
Meta has yet to announce an official launch date or localized pricing for the WhatsApp Plus subscription, noting that features may still be adjusted before a wide release.
The big question remains: will the Kenyan market, notoriously loyal to free services, bite the bullet? While the UI themes and exclusive stickers are a nice cosmetic touch, the ability to pin 20 chats might just be the killer productivity feature that convinces local hustles to swipe their cards.
Are you willing to pay for the official WhatsApp Plus, or are you sticking to the free tier? Let us know in the comments.
