In a major shift from its ad-free experience, WhatsApp is officially rolling out advertisements on the Status screen, marking the first time the platform will show ads directly to users. The feature mimics Instagram Stories, where ads appear after viewing a few updates.
According to Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, these ads will be shown based on non-sensitive data such as your city, language preferences, followed channels, and past ad interactions. Importantly, Meta clarifies that it will not use private information like phone numbers, messages, call logs, or group chats for targeted advertising.
If a user links their WhatsApp account to Meta’s Account Center, their ad preferences across Meta platforms may influence the ads shown on WhatsApp.
Additionally, WhatsApp is expanding monetization through Channels, its broadcast feature. Users and businesses will soon be able to promote their channels in the app’s discovery section and even offer paid subscriptions for exclusive content. These subscription transactions will be processed through mobile app stores.
WhatsApp currently serves over 1.5 billion daily users through Status and Channels. Until now, its main sources of revenue have been its WhatsApp Business API and click-to-WhatsApp ads, both of which have shown significant growth in Meta’s earnings reports.
Alice Newton-Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, stated that the decision to introduce ads and promotions is a “natural evolution,” as businesses increasingly look to connect with users directly on the platform.
The rollout of these new features will begin globally over the coming months, marking a pivotal transformation in WhatsApp’s monetization strategy.
