By Opeoluwa Okudero 
Meta is officially bringing advertisements to WhatsApp, breaking from the app’s long-standing ad-free tradition. Starting in the coming months, users will begin to see ads—not in their personal or group chats—but in the Updates tab, which hosts Status updates and Channels.
“We believe the Updates tab is the right place to introduce that,” WhatsApp said in a statement, emphasising that personal messaging will remain private and ad-free.
Monetisation Meets Messaging
The Updates tab already sees traffic from 1.5 billion people daily. By placing ads here, Meta is attempting to strike a balance: tapping into WhatsApp’s massive user base without compromising its core offering of private, encrypted conversations.
In addition to Status ads, two other monetisation tools are on the way:
Channel subscriptions, which allow users to pay monthly for exclusive content.
Promoted channels, enabling admins to boost visibility inside WhatsApp’s directory.
Meta also addressed privacy concerns, stating that ad targeting will rely on limited data points such as users’ country or city, language, followed channels, and interaction history—not chat content. For users who have connected their accounts across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram via Meta’s Accounts Centre, more personalized ads may appear.
The Bigger Picture
This rollout is Meta’s most decisive move yet to integrate WhatsApp into its wider ad ecosystem. While the company has monetised Messenger and Instagram, WhatsApp remained largely untouched—until now.
With over 3 billion monthly users globally and high daily engagement, WhatsApp could be a game-changer for Meta’s business strategy—if users embrace the shift
Valentine Alexander
Leave feedback about this