Facebook, Instagram, and Threads are already packed with ads, leaving WhatsApp as the only Meta-owned app without them—until now.
Meta has officially announced that ads are coming to WhatsApp. They’ll show up in the Updates tab, the same section where you find Channels and Status updates. According to Meta, this tab is used by a whopping 1.5 billion people every day around the world.
The ads will appear in Status, giving you the option to check out a business and message them directly about whatever they’re promoting. There will also be Promoted Channels, which are basically ads disguised as recommendations. These will pop up in the directory to help you “discover new channels that might interest you.”
Alongside the ads, WhatsApp is introducing Channel subscriptions, where you can pay a monthly fee for exclusive updates from certain Channels. This isn’t directly ad-related, but it’s another new feature rolling out.
Meta claims that keeping ads and subscriptions confined to the Updates tab—away from your personal chats—means your experience won’t change at all if you only use WhatsApp to message friends and family.
Your personal chats, calls, and statuses will stay end-to-end encrypted. For ad targeting, WhatsApp will use basic info like your location, language, the Channels you follow, and how you engage with ads. If you’ve linked WhatsApp to your Meta Accounts Center, your ad preferences from other Meta apps might also influence what you see.
Meta assures users that your phone number won’t be shared with advertisers, and your private messages, calls, and group chats won’t be used to personalise ads. These changes won’t happen overnight—they’ll roll out gradually over the next few months.