WhatsApp is introducing three new advertising features in a global rollout aimed at helping businesses connect with users through the messaging platform.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, clarified that these ads will not appear alongside users' private chats. Additionally, the content of those chats will remain protected by encryption and will not be used to determine what ads are shown.
Instead, ad suggestions will be based on a user’s country, city, language, how they engage with other ads, and the channels they follow. However, users who link their WhatsApp account with Facebook or Instagram will receive more personalized advertising.
The new ads will appear in the Updates tab, which is located separately at the bottom of the app.
WhatsApp currently has a global user base of around 1.5 billion people.
Businesses with their own channels on WhatsApp can now promote ads within the Updates section to attract more followers. They will also have the option to charge subscriptions for access to exclusive content.
WhatsApp plans to collect a 10 percent commission from these subscription fees. Depending on the business’s size and location, there may be additional charges imposed by app stores.
Companies will also have the option to advertise through status updates, which resemble Instagram stories and can link directly to a chat when tapped.
According to social media expert Matt Navarra, Meta is preparing WhatsApp to become a revenue-generating platform on a much larger scale. Still, he warned that monetizing areas outside personal chats while maintaining privacy could be challenging.
This is especially true in regions like the UK and parts of Europe, where WhatsApp is seen primarily as a private messaging service rather than a place for content or advertising.
Navarra noted that any changes that make the app feel too much like Facebook could trigger negative reactions from users.
These updates reflect Meta’s broader strategy of aligning WhatsApp with its other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
“There’s clearly some overlap,” said WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart. “We have stories on Instagram and stories on WhatsApp. Now we have a way for businesses to promote themselves on both platforms, and we believe that’s a positive development.”
Cathcart described the change as a natural evolution of messaging services and compared it to features available on competing platforms like Snapchat and Telegram.
Navarra added that the changes also reflect a broader shift in how people use social media.
“Feeds are declining, public sharing is dropping, and people are gravitating toward direct messages and stories in smaller groups,” he explained.
Meta’s goal, he said, appears to be transforming WhatsApp into a full platform without making users feel overwhelmed or commercialized. If the changes happen too quickly or the app starts to resemble a traditional ad platform, users may lose trust or become less engaged.
Recently, WhatsApp faced backlash after introducing a permanent button for Meta’s AI tool, which cannot be removed. Cathcart emphasized that users will not be forced to see ads or follow channels if they do not want to.
“I want to be clear—this will not affect your inbox,” he said. “If you are only using WhatsApp to message, you will not see these features.”
Cathcart admitted that the Updates section is not widely used in the UK, but it has greater popularity in other regions. He said the company is open to feedback about the permanent AI tool, although many features in the app cannot be removed.
“You can’t remove the channels button, the Updates button, or the calls button,” he explained. “We don’t want the service to become overloaded with settings either—that would just make things more complicated.”
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