WhatsApp will finally start showing ads within the app! The widely used messaging platform with over two billion monthly active users globally is all set to introduce its most significant advertising features yet, signaling Meta’s desire to monetize the messenger app.
The decision, which was announced on June 16, 2025, will see advertisements appear within the ‘Updates’ tab, which houses both ‘Channels’ and ‘Status’ features. This feature marks a notable departure for WhatsApp’s stand on advertisements – a decision to keep WhatsApp ads free. WhatsApp was acquired by Meta in 2014 and integrated with the rest of Meta’s social media ecosystem, which includes Instagram and Facebook.
“Like everything we do at WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most private way possible. Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one (not even us) can see or hear them,” says WhatsApp in its official blog post.
Ads come to WhatsApp
As part of the new update, there will be three ways in which ads will be served to audiences:
Paid Channel Subscriptions: Allowing users to subscribe to their favorite channels for exclusive content at a monthly fee.
Promoted Channels: Offering boosted visibility for certain channels within the Discovery directory to help attract new followers.
Advertisements within Status: WhatsApp’s equivalent of Instagram Stories will now feature ads.
Addressing the concerns related to the user experience, WhatsApp says that, “These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats. This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all.”
Obviously, ads require permission to acquire data. WhatsApp, however, says that it has several measures in place to make it safe for its members. “To show ads in Status or Channels you might care about, we’ll use limited info like your country or city, language, the Channels you’re following, and how you interact with the ads you see. For people who have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, we’ll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts,” says the release.
“We will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers. Your personal messages, calls and groups you are in will not be used to determine the ads you may see,” assures WhatsApp.
