Wattpad says it’s entering a new phase focused on its most loyal audience: fan communities. The Toronto-based storytelling platform announced plans to boost support for readers and writers by improving discovery, enhancing community features, and investing more in free user-generated content.
In a message shared with iPhone in Canada, Wattpad President Aron Levitz said the platform is going back to its roots. “When I joined in 2013, we were just starting to build out our ad tools. Today, we’re ready to support fandoms more than ever,” he said.
Wattpad has helped spark global trends like billionaire romances, hockey love stories, and romantasy — many of which took off on the app before going mainstream. Stories like After, The Kissing Booth, and Through My Window all started on Wattpad and became pop culture hits thanks to the platform’s strong fan communities.
Looking ahead, Wattpad says it will focus on:
While Wattpad Originals and paid stories will continue, Levitz said the free experience will remain “just as exciting and diverse.”
The update comes as Wattpad recovers from recent challenges, including layoffs, a user dip tied to a security update, and a ban in Turkey. Some users have also voiced concerns about content and author bans as the company has improved its moderation processes, removing more content violations in recent years.
Still, Wattpad remains focused on turning its popular stories into TV shows, movies, and other media through its parent company, WEBTOON Entertainment, which acquired the company after Wattpad’s 2021 acquisition by Naver.
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