WhatsApp to Add Ads and Paid Features in Updates Tab

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

WhatsApp has announced that it will soon introduce its biggest advertising changes ever. This is a big step for the popular messaging app, which has stayed mostly ad-free since it began.

In the past, WhatsApp's leaders said they wouldn’t put ads in the app, even when people thought they might. Since Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Instagram) bought WhatsApp in 2014, many users and experts have been watching closely to see if Meta would try to make more money from WhatsApp.

Until now, WhatsApp only had a few ads. These were usually in the “Status” section or sent to people who agreed to receive business messages. There were no ads in chats or conversation lists.

Now, WhatsApp says it will launch three new features to help businesses earn money. These changes will only be found in the "Updates" tab, which includes Status and Channels. This tab is used by about 1.5 billion people every day and became available to everyone last year.

The new features are:

1. Paid Channel Subscriptions – Some channels may ask users to pay to follow them.

2. Promoted Channels – Channels can pay to be shown in the Discovery section, helping more people find them.

3. Ads in Status – Like Instagram Stories, you might see ads while watching someone’s Status.

WhatsApp made it clear that personal messages, group chats, and calls will stay completely private. They will remain end-to-end encrypted. This means no one—not even WhatsApp—can read or listen to them.

Nikila Srinivasan, a top leader at Meta, said:
"Your chats, calls, and Status posts will stay private. We won’t sell or share your phone number. And we won’t use your personal messages or groups to show you ads."

Instead, ads in the Updates tab will only use basic info like:

• The city or country you live in

• The language on your phone

• What you do inside the Updates tab

For now, these features won’t appear everywhere right away. The company said the rollout will be slow and could take months before you see the changes in your area.

Experts say this is Meta’s way to start making money from WhatsApp, which has over two billion people using it every month.

Even with ads coming, if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends or family, your experience won’t change. You can also turn off the Updates tab if you don’t want to see the new features.