WhatsApp says it is adding new ways for users to follow creators and businesses—while also opening the door to advertising and paid content on the platform.
The new features are rolling out inside the Updates tab, which already houses WhatsApp’s Channels and Status. Meta says there are over 1.5 billion people who use this tab daily. These changes mark a shift in how WhatsApp plans to monetize its massive user base.
First, users will now be able to pay to subscribe to select Channels in exchange for exclusive updates. WhatsApp hasn’t said how much these subscriptions will cost or whether creators will get a cut.
Second, WhatsApp will begin promoting Channels in the directory. This means some Channels may be featured more prominently, giving admins and organizations a way to boost visibility for the first time.
And last but not least, ads are coming to Status. Businesses will be able to run promotional content in the Status section, and users can tap to message them directly.
WhatsApp says these new tools are limited to the Updates tab and won’t affect regular messaging. Chats, calls, and groups remain unchanged.
While the company insists that ads are designed with privacy in mind, it will still use limited info—such as your location, language, and which Channels you follow—to tailor what you see. If you’ve connected WhatsApp to your Meta accounts through the Accounts Center, your preferences there may also influence ads. So expect some targeted ads coming your way based on the info you’ve provided to WhatsApp and Meta.
The company says it won’t sell or share your phone number with advertisers, and your private conversations won’t be used for ad targeting, which is good but also should be a given.
“We’ve been talking about our plans to build a business that does not interrupt your personal chats for years and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features to work,” explained WhatsApp in a statement to iPhone in Canada.
What do you think about ads coming to the Status tab in WhatsApp? For now, WhatsApp remains the best cross-platform app to use for large group chats (Apple should really allow iMessage to be cross-platform). Ads in the Status tab won’t stop me from using the app anytime soon, unfortunately.
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