Introducing Session Pro Beta: Supporting the Network, Unlocking New Features

Session provides secure, private messaging without compromising user data. Overall, the ecosystem is designed to provide these benefits to you while meeting the needs of the community operators and developers maintaining the network. 

As the app grows, the Session Network requires additional support mechanisms to remain sustainable. Avoiding exploitative models based on data collection or advertising, Session Pro Beta is a premium tier designed for power users who need (or want) additional capabilities. By unlocking Session Pro, users access advanced features while directly supporting the decentralized network that makes Session possible. Pro Beta is currently planned for release in early Q4, 2025.

How Session Pro makes Session sustainable

Running a global, decentralized messaging network requires significant resources. Unlike traditional messaging apps that monetize through data collection or advertising, Session operates on a different principle: those who need more from the platform can directly support the infrastructure that serves them.

Session Pro creates a sustainable economic model where users who require additional network resources—longer messages, larger groups, and other more powerful features—can contribute resources to unlock these features and thereby increase the rewards available to the node operators who provide the extra storage and bandwidth. This approach keeps Session independent, ensures fair compensation for infrastructure providers, and aligns the network's interests with its users.

Session will always remain free for all users. Session Pro simply offers additional capabilities for those who need them, creating a virtuous cycle that strengthens the entire network.

Session Pro Beta Features

Feature 1: Higher Character Limits for Messages

Ever wished you could type longer messages on Session? Pro Beta users will be able to send messages with a significantly higher number of characters than regular users, with the exact character limits for regular and Pro users to be defined in the coming weeks. This is an ideal feature for Session Pro, as larger messages consume more bandwidth and storage when relayed and stored by Session Nodes. By gating this functionality behind Session Pro, a sustainable feedback loop is created: power users unlock these features via the in-app purchase of Session Pro, the fees are burnt, and an equivalent amount is made available for rewards to the Session Node network to help offset the increased infrastructure costs associated with higher resource usage.

Following the launch of Pro Beta, users who reach the character limit on their messages will see a call-to-action to explore Pro and consider upgrading. This is similar to other messaging apps who use character limits as an effective touchpoint to onboard users to premium offerings throughout their day-to-day user journey.

Feature 2: More Pinned Conversations

Pinning messages is a great way to keep chats on Session organised. Pro Beta users will be able to enjoy unlimited pinned conversations, ensuring they can keep all their most important chats easily accessible at the top of their conversation list. If you're someone who juggles multiple important conversations throughout the day, this feature will help you stay organized and never lose track of priority contacts.

This represents a change from Session's current approach to pinning, where all users can pin an unlimited number of conversations. However, pinned conversation limits are a common feature in premium messaging offerings across the industry. These upgrade touchpoints are essential for Session Pro Beta's success in driving meaningful contributions to the Session Network through network fees, which in turn supports node operators and network contributors who maintain Session's infrastructure. By creating compelling reasons for users to upgrade to Pro, features like pinned conversation limits help ensure Session's long-term sustainability and growth—even if they require changes to the default capabilities of regular users.

Feature 3: Higher Group Member Limits

Session Pro Beta will significantly expand group capabilities. Groups with at least one Pro administrator will be able to accommodate a significantly higher number of members than regular groups, with the exact member limits to be defined in the next few weeks. This makes Session Pro ideal for larger networks, organizations, and social groups who need secure, private communication at scale.

Larger groups represent one of the most network-intensive features, requiring substantial additional storage and bandwidth resources from the Session Network to handle increased message routing, member management, and synchronization across all participants. Like extended message lengths, this intensive functionality requires network fees to ensure sustainable operation, as Session's privacy-first approach means these costs cannot be offset through data monetization like traditional messaging platforms.

The Pro administrator requirement ensures that groups utilizing these expanded capabilities contribute appropriately to network maintenance and development through their network fee contributions.

Feature 4: Animated Profile Pictures

One of the most visually distinctive Pro features will be animated profile pictures. Pro users can set GIF or animated WebP images as their profile pictures, adding personality and flair to their Session presence. These animated avatars will display across all areas of the app - in conversation lists, message threads, group member lists, and profile screens.

Animated profile pictures offer a compelling visual upgrade that immediately distinguishes Pro users within the Session community. The ability to express personality through dynamic, eye-catching avatars creates a natural incentive for users to upgrade, as visual customization features have proven highly effective at driving premium adoption across messaging platforms.

This represents a change from Session's current system where animated profile pictures are available to all users, albeit with the ability to set them on Desktop only. With Session Pro Beta, animated profile pictures will become a Pro-exclusive feature that is available across all platforms - Android, iOS, and Desktop. Similar to pinned conversation limits, this creates an effective touchpoint for demonstrating Pro value while encouraging users to contribute network fees that support Session's infrastructure and add SESH tokens to the Staking Reward Pool.

Feature 5: Pro Badges

Pro Beta users will be able to display an optional Session Pro badge next to their display name throughout the app. This badge serves as a visual indicator of Pro status and appears in conversations, group member lists, settings screens, and anywhere else user names are displayed. The badge is enabled by default when users purchase Pro, but can be toggled off in the Session Pro settings for users who prefer to keep their Pro status private.

Like animated profile pictures, Pro badges create a visible status symbol that can effectively motivate upgrades by allowing users to showcase their support for the Session network. The social recognition aspect of badges has proven successful across many platforms as a driver of premium adoption.

Pro badges represent an entirely new feature for Session, introducing a badge system that has significant potential for future expansion. Future iterations of Session Pro could potentially include badges for various achievements while exploring the app, badges recognizing membership in specific communities, or other creative ways to utilize the badge framework to enhance user engagement and recognition within the Session ecosystem.

Privacy-Preserving Pro Verification

Session Pro maintains Session's commitment to privacy through a secure cryptographic proof system. When Pro users send messages that utilize Pro features—such as messages exceeding the standard character limit, animated profile pictures, or Pro badges—they automatically include a cryptographic Session Pro Proof with their message. This proof serves as a tamper-resistant digital certificate that validates their Pro status without revealing any personal information about the user or their payment details.

Other Session clients receiving these messages can verify the authenticity of the Pro proof through cryptographic validation before rendering Pro-specific features. This verification process is designed to be efficient and secure, with validation results cached for a period of time to optimize performance.

The system is designed to be privacy-preserving from the ground up. Session Pro Proofs contain no identifying information about the user, their payment method, or their real-world identity. The proofs simply demonstrate that the sender has an active Pro status without revealing who they are or how they paid for it. This approach ensures that even as Session introduces premium features, the fundamental privacy guarantees that users rely on remain intact.

For users syncing across multiple devices, Session Pro status and proofs are synchronized through the existing encrypted configuration message system, ensuring a seamless experience across all platforms while maintaining the same privacy protections.

In-App Purchases and Pro Membership Management

Session Pro Beta will launch with native in-app purchase support for Android (via Google Play) and iOS (via the App Store), making it easy to upgrade directly within the app. When you tap the upgrade button in Session's settings, all payment processing is handled seamlessly through your device's native payment system. While in-app payments are necessarily made in fiat, these payments will be converted to SESH on the backend, with this SESH burned as network fees and then periodically re-minted into the Staking Reward Pool, adding to rewards for node operators and contributors.

A dedicated Session Pro settings screen will provide a central hub for managing your Pro membership and customizing your Pro features. From this screen, you can toggle Pro features like badges on or off and manage your Pro access through your platform's native in-app purchase system.

For users who installed Session from alternative sources like F-Droid or direct APK downloads, Session Pro information will be displayed, but upgrade options won't be available initially. These users will be directed to switch to the Google Play version to purchase Pro or can wait for external payment gateway support in the future.

Desktop users will see Session Pro information but won't be able to upgrade directly. Instead, they'll be informed that upgrading on a linked mobile device will also upgrade their Desktop client. External payment gateway support in the Desktop client is planned for a future release.

Future Development

Session Pro Beta represents the first step in creating a sustainable, user-supported network. Future iterations may explore more significant feature expansions such as increased file size limits, multi-account capabilities.

The current selection of Beta features balances technical feasibility with user impact, creating natural touchpoints that demonstrate the benefits of supporting the network while the underlying payments infrastructure is battle-tested.

Building a Sustainable Future for Session

Session's approach represents a new economic model for mission-driven technology: instead of extracting value from users through data collection or advertising, Session Pro creates direct value exchange. Users who need advanced capabilities support the infrastructure that provides them, while the core messaging functionality remains free and accessible to everyone.

This model ensures Session remains independent and aligned with user interests. Every Pro membership helps fund the thousands of Session nodes run by operators worldwide, keeping the network strong, private, and beyond the reach of any single authority.

Session Pro offers power users the features they need while ensuring the network remains robust and sustainable for millions of users worldwide. It's technology that truly serves its users, funded by those who benefit from it most.

Session Pro FAQs

How does Session protect the privacy of users paying for Session Pro??

Session Pro has been designed from the ground up to preserve user privacy. It does this by utilizing various cryptographic protocols which break the link between a user's payment for Session Pro and the proofs which are used to validate a user's Pro status. There are a few key properties of this protocol: 

• Session Pro status is not linked to a user’s public Account ID. Instead, it is conveyed through Session Pro Proofs, these proofs are cryptographic attestations embedded within the encrypted body of Session messages. These proofs allow users to selectively disclose their Pro status only to recipients who need to verify it, minimizing exposure of Pro-related metadata to third-party observers or the broader network.

• Session Pro Proofs are validated locally on the user’s device. Rather than querying a remote server for validation, clients periodically pre-fetch all necessary verification data and perform proof validation locally. This ensures that global validating servers cannot monitor when, where, or how often a user interacts with Session Pro features, significantly enhancing user privacy.

• When payments are made through Apple or Google in-app billing, the Session Foundation which signs Session Pro Proofs does not receive any personal information about the user. Details such as a user’s name, email address, phone number, or payment credentials are never shared with the Session Foundation. This design ensures that Pro verification and payment processing remain decoupled from user identity, reinforcing Session’s commitment to anonymity and data minimization.

Session Pro is still in active development. A comprehensive blog post detailing the technical design and privacy-preserving properties of Session Pro will be published for the Session community ahead of the Beta release.

How does Session Pro verification work without exposing my identity?

Messages with Pro features automatically include a cryptographic Session Pro Proof that serves as a tamper-resistant digital certificate. Other Session clients can verify the authenticity of these proofs through cryptographic validation before rendering Pro-specific features. Validation results are cached for a period of time to optimize performance. This verification system is designed to be privacy-preserving, and your Session identity and Pro status remain completely separate from any payment information.

Will other users be able to see if I have Session Pro?

The Pro badge awarded to Pro users can be toggled off in the Session Pro settings for users who prefer to not highlight their Pro status. However, keep in mind that by making use of Pro features that are visible to people you talk to on Session, such as sending longer messages or having an animated display picture, users will be able to deduce that you are a Pro user! 

Feature & Functionality FAQs

What features will Session Pro Beta include?

Session Pro Beta will include five features:

1. Higher character limits for messages (significantly higher than regular users)

2. Unlimited pinned conversations (vs. limited for free users)

3. Higher group member limits (for groups with at least one Pro administrator)

4. Animated profile pictures (GIF or animated WebP images) across all platforms

5. Optional Pro badges displayed next to your display name throughout the app

Will Session Pro affect current features for free users?

To create a sustainable model that supports the Session network, some feature adjustments will be made with the introduction of Session Pro Beta. Pinned conversations, which are currently unlimited, will have reasonable limits introduced for regular users, though Pro users will continue to enjoy unlimited pins. Additionally, animated profile pictures will transition to become a Pro feature, but with the benefit of being available across all platforms (Android, iOS, and Desktop) rather than Desktop-only as they are currently. These changes help create meaningful value for Pro users while ensuring the core messaging functionality remains robust and free for everyone.

What are the specific limits for regular users that are planned to be introduced with Pro Beta?

Limits to how many conversations regular users can pin and how many members they can add to a group will all be announced closer to the launch of Pro Beta. 

When will Session Pro Beta launch?

Session Pro Beta is currently planned for release in early Q4, 2025. 

Payment FAQs

How can I purchase Session Pro?

Session Pro Beta will launch with native in-app purchase support for Android (via Google Play) and iOS (via the App Store). When you tap the upgrade button in Session's settings, all payment processing is handled through your device's native payment system. While payments are made in fiat, these are converted to SESH on the backend, with SESH burned as network fees and periodically re-minted into the Staking Reward Pool.

Why are you only supporting in-app payments via Apple and Google for Session Pro Beta? 

If you distribute an application via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and that app has premium features available for purchase, you must offer the ability to pay for those premium features using the Apple and Google in-app payments system. This is stipulated in both platforms' app review guidelines. 

However, once in-app payments are available via Apple or Google’s in-app billing systems developers can also support importing subscriptions which were paid for using external payment gateways. This will ultimately allow Session users greater flexibility in supporting the network and paying for Pro without having to use in-app payments.

It is for this reason that Session Pro Beta will launch with in-app payments using Apple/Google’s payment systems first, and then add external payment gateway support for Session Pro at a later point.

What about Desktop or F-Droid users?

Desktop users will see Session Pro information but won't be able to upgrade directly. They will be informed that upgrading on a linked mobile device will also upgrade their Desktop client. External payment gateway support for Desktop is planned for a future release. F-Droid users and users who downloaded the Session APK directly will see Pro information but won't have upgrade options initially - they'll need to switch to the Google Play version, upgrade on a linked device or wait for external payment gateway support to be added into the APK and F-droid versions.

How much will Session Pro cost?

While pricing has not yet been confirmed, Session Pro Beta is planned to launch at a lower price than the full version of Pro. 

Will there be alternative payment methods available for Pro, such as using crypto, PayPal, etc.?

External payment gateway support, enabling payment via SESH directly and potentially other cryptocurrencies and payment systems, is planned for future releases after the launch of Session Pro Beta.

If I purchase Session Pro on one device, will it sync to all my other devices?

Yes. Session Pro status is synced between all devices sharing the same Session Account ID Pro status and proofs are synchronized through the existing encrypted configuration message system, ensuring a seamless experience across all platforms while maintaining the same privacy protections. You won’t need to pay for Pro twice to access it on different devices with the same Account ID. 

Network & Sustainability FAQs

Why is Session introducing a paid tier?

A global, decentralized messaging network like Session relies on a distributed community of independent node operators. These operators contribute resources to the network and bear the financial costs of providing those resources. Unlike centralized messaging platforms that fund operations through advertising or data exploitation, Session Pro creates a sustainable economic model, where users who need enhanced network capabilities purchase Session Pro with and their purchase cost flows back to the Session ecosystem and node operators. This model preserves Session’s independence, fairly compensates those who maintain the network, and ensures that the network’s incentives are aligned with its users, not corporate interests.

How does Session Pro  support the network?

When a user purchases Session Pro the purchase cost is converted into Session tokens and those tokens are burned as network fees. Network fees are then periodically re-minted into the Staking Reward Pool, adding to rewards for node operators and contributors. This creates a sustainable feedback loop—power users unlock features via in-app purchase, the purchase cost supports the Session Node network to help offset increased infrastructure costs associated with higher resource usage from Pro features.

Will Session always have a free tier?

Yes. Session will always remain free for all users. Session Pro simply offers additional capabilities for those who need them.

Future Development FAQs

What other features might come to Session Pro?

Future iterations may explore more significant feature expansions such as increased file size limits and multi-account capabilities. 

How can I give feedback on the current Session Pro Beta feature set, and share suggestions for future features? 

Your feedback and suggestions are warmly welcomed! Please feel free to share your thoughts via this SurveyMonkey form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PFTWV66