Meta finally brings ads to WhatsApp

WhatsApp, in a blog post, has announced plans to introduce ads within the app for the first time — a significant shift in its monetisation strategy. With over two billion monthly active users, the Meta-owned app will begin displaying ads in the ‘Updates’ tab — the section that includes both ‘Status’ and ‘Channels’.

Since being acquired by Meta in 2014, WhatsApp has been gradually integrated into the company’s wider ecosystem, which includes Facebook and Instagram — both of which already feature extensive advertising models.

As part of the upcoming update, users can expect three key monetisation features:

• Channel Subscriptions: Creators will have the option to charge a monthly fee for access to exclusive content on their channels.
  

• Promoted Channels: WhatsApp will introduce paid promotion tools, allowing select channels to gain visibility in the app’s Discovery section.
  

• Status Ads: Ads will also begin appearing in the Status section — WhatsApp’s version of Stories — bringing it closer in line with Instagram and Facebook.

These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats. This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat there is no change to your experience at all.

“Like everything we do at WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most private way possible. Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one (not even us) can see or hear them”,  the company said in its official statement.