Meta Introduces Ads and Paid Subscriptions to WhatsApp Updates Tab, Used by 1.5 Billion Daily

Meta has officially announced that ads are coming to WhatsApp, marking a significant shift for the world's most popular messaging app. The new ad formats will be confined to the Updates tab, which includes both Status and Channels, and is currently used by 1.5 billion users daily.

Here’s what’s new:

Ads in Status:

You’ll start seeing ads between Status updates, helping you “find new businesses and start conversations” directly through WhatsApp.

Promoted Channels:

These will be sponsored suggestions within the Channel directory, meant to highlight new content and creators based on your preferences and activity.

Paid Channel Subscriptions:

A brand-new monetization feature allowing Channel owners to charge a monthly fee for exclusive content and updates. While unrelated to ads, this adds another layer of personalization and creator engagement to the platform.

Meta assures users that ads and subscriptions will not interfere with private messaging. Personal chats, group messages, calls, and status updates remain end-to-end encrypted and unaffected.

To personalize ads in the Status and Channels, WhatsApp may use:

Your city, country, and language

Channels you follow and how you interact with ads

Meta Accounts Center info (if linked)

Meta emphasizes privacy, promising not to share your phone number with advertisers and to keep all personal messages off-limits for ad targeting.

These features will roll out gradually over the coming months, with Meta confident that placing ads in the Updates tab only ensures “no change to your experience” if you primarily use WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family.