WhatsApp to introduce advertising in major business shift

Meta-owned WhatsApp said on Monday that it would begin rolling out its most significant advertising features to date, a notable pivot for a platform that has largely resisted monetization efforts since its inception.

The new tools, which include paid channel subscriptions, promoted content within the app’s Discovery directory, and advertisements in the Status feature, will be confined to the Updates tab - a space that houses content from channels and ephemeral posts similar to Instagram Stories.

The announcement marks a turning point for WhatsApp, which has traditionally steered clear of the ad-centric model that fuels other Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The company emphasized that users who rely on the app primarily for personal messaging would see no change to their experience. All new features will remain optional and isolated within the Updates section, which users can deactivate in their settings.

Whatsapp said it's been clear about building a business that doesn’t interfere with private chats. “We believe the Updates tab is the right environment for this.”

The decision arrives nearly a year after WhatsApp executives denied reports suggesting the company was preparing to introduce in-app advertising. At the time, the platform reiterated its commitment to privacy and an ad-free user experience.

Now, as Meta faces increased pressure to drive revenue across its family of apps, the move reflects a broader strategy to tap into WhatsApp’s vast user base - over 2 billion people globally - for new growth opportunities.

Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s vice president of product management, highlighted that personal communications would remain untouched. “Your personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain end-to-end encrypted,” she told journalists, as per reports. Srinivasan added that they cannot be seen by the platform, and they will not be used for advertising.

The company also said it would not share user phone numbers with advertisers or allow private group activity to influence ad targeting. Instead, ads will rely on minimal signals such as a user’s location, device language, and activity within the Updates tab.

While WhatsApp has dabbled in business messaging and limited ad testing in recent years, the new features represent a more explicit step toward monetization. Analysts have long speculated that Meta would eventually leverage WhatsApp’s scale for advertising revenue, especially given its high user engagement and limited historical monetization.

WhatsApp did not disclose when the new features would be widely available, nor did it provide revenue projections tied to the rollout.

Read more: WhatsApp Co-Founder: No ads or social features ever intended, strengthening Meta's defense