Meta has confirmed that ads are coming to WhatsApp for the first time since the company bought the app in 2014 for $19 billion. This marks a big shift for the app which always kept ads away from users' screens. 

“Meta announced that the ads will appear in the Updates tab which includes the Status feature used for short-lived posts like images videos or text that vanish after 24 hours.”

 The ads will not interrupt private chats and personal messages will remain encrypted as before.These new “status ads” are designed to let businesses connect with users through WhatsApp’s messaging tools. Users will see these ads like they do on Instagram Stories but only in the Updates tab to avoid cluttering the inbox. 

Meta is also introducing search ads in the Channels feature where users follow public figures or organizations. Channel admins will be able to pay for more visibility and can also charge monthly subscriptions for exclusive content.

WhatsApp’s New Ad Features Aim to Balance Growth and Privacy

Meta’s business messaging head Nikila Srinivasan said the company will use only basic information such as device type country city language and interaction habits to recommend ads. Meta hopes this limited targeting will keep user trust while still opening new revenue streams. The company plans to eventually take a ten percent cut from subscription fees charged by channel admins but not right away.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes messaging between businesses and users is the future of Meta’s revenue and WhatsApp is central to that plan. With more than three billion monthly users worldwide and over one hundred million in the U.S. Meta wants to turn WhatsApp into the next big chapter of its history.