Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has announced that it will begin showing advertisements on the messaging app for the first time, ending its long-standing no-ads policy. The change marks a major shift in how the platform will generate income.
The ads will appear in the Status section of WhatsApp, which is found in the Updates tab. This means personal chats and group messages will remain free from advertising. According to Meta, the ads will not interrupt private conversations or affect user privacy.
“This was a longtime request from businesses,” said Nikila Srinivasan, Vice-President of Business Messaging at WhatsApp. “They care about preserving people’s personal spaces.”
The new feature is expected to roll out in the coming months and will work similarly to the Stories feature already seen on Instagram and Facebook. It allows companies to promote products and services without directly messaging users.
WhatsApp, which now has over 3 billion monthly users, including 200 million businesses, was once famous for its “No ads!” promise. The app’s co-founder, Brian Acton, pushed back against advertising before WhatsApp was bought by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014 for \$19 billion.
Meta says the change is coming at the right time and will help businesses reach customers through a part of the app many users already visit regularly. WhatsApp’s Status feature is now the most used “stories” platform in the world, with 1.5 billion users daily, according to Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp’s Director of Product.
In addition to ads, WhatsApp will launch paid Channel subscriptions, allowing creators and influencers to offer exclusive content to followers. Brands will also be able to pay to promote their Channels inside a curated list.
Although messages and calls will stay end-to-end encrypted, WhatsApp will use non-sensitive data—like your phone’s language, location, and which Channels you follow—to show more relevant ads.
This marks a new era for WhatsApp as Meta works to turn one of its most popular apps into a stronger source of revenue.
