For the first time since it was launched in 2009, WhatsApp is introducing ads.

A key selling point of the platform, which is known for its ad-free experience, is that it will now start to include ads — but only in a limited way. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, says the ads are rolling out slowly and will only appear in the “Updates” tab.

So what does this mean for the everyday user?

If you are someone who uses WhatsApp mostly for private messaging and group chats — you might not notice anything at all. Meta says personal conversations will stay ad-free. The Updates tab, where the ads will appear, is where people go to view Status updates or follow Channels related to their interests, news, or entertainment.

It’s Meta’s way of balancing monetization with user privacy.

The way Meta sees it, this allows for ads in a way that doesn’t feel as intrusive. That’s why you won’t see them in your messages. The focus is on non-conversational areas instead. When users scroll through Status updates, they’ll see some posts from advertisers. These will look just like regular status stories — a photo, video, or text — except the source will be from businesses. Users can reply to these ads and start a chat with the advertiser directly on WhatsApp.

Then there are Promoted Channels — another new ad type. Here, admins can promote the visibility of their Channels. This is a new feature that’s aimed at helping businesses and content creators grow their audience organically within the app.

And finally, WhatsApp is experimenting with a subscription model. Yes, you read that right. Businesses can charge users a monthly fee to access exclusive content. Think a cooking Channel that gives premium recipes or alerts for paid subscribers.

Targeting Without giving up too much data?

It’s hard to imagine the idea of ads showing up on WhatsApp, a platform that has long prided itself on privacy, as a step forward. But Meta is insistent on the fact that they’re being careful.

It says ad targeting will only rely on broad data — things like country, city, language, age range, and phone settings. It will also consider how people engage with content within Status and Channels. Think the channels you follow, what you engage with, and even how you respond to the ads.

Meta stresses that personal messages are still encrypted and untouched.

Still, there’s some overlap with other Meta platforms (like Facebook and Instagram) that’s possible — if users link their WhatsApp account to Meta’s Accounts Center. This is off by default, but if enabled, Meta can use activity across its apps to refine the ads shown.

Users will also have some control. WhatsApp will let people see why a specific ad was shown, let them hide or report an ad, and even manage preferences for ad topics or advertisers.

This move wasn’t too surprising. Meta — which acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for a whopping $16 billion — has been working to make WhatsApp more than just a free chat app for some time now.

Until now, most of WhatsApp’s revenue came from its Business Platform and “Click-to-WhatsApp” ads on Facebook and Instagram. These allowed businesses to start conversations with potential customers directly through ads.

In April, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the WhatsApp Business Platform is seeing strong growth. Still, there was a clear intent to extract more value from WhatsApp’s 2 billion+ users.

During a product briefing last week, Alice Newton Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, said that “showing ads in the Updates tab is the next natural evolution.” The business platform is already helping users find companies on WhatsApp — now ads will make that connection even deeper.

It’s also a response to demand. “That was what we were increasingly hearing from businesses,” Rex added.

Not just WhatsApp

Other messaging platforms are following suit. Discord started running ads in 2024. Reddit, another social hub, made its first profit by getting advertisers interested. Even apps that were previously known for community-first features are getting pulled into the ad economy.

There’s also the broader economic context. With a gloomy global economy and uncertain ad spending, platforms are trying to find more stable streams of revenue. For Meta, 98% of its revenue last quarter came from advertising. So it’s only natural that WhatsApp — long viewed as an untapped goldmine — would finally be integrated.

The ad experience on WhatsApp is still very subtle for now. But with Meta’s deep commitment to advertising and optimizing platform utility, many people believe this is just the beginning.