WhatsApp is introducing advertisements to its service. Early this week, Meta revealed that businesses will soon display ads within the app’s Status feature, similar to Stories on other platforms.
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Found in the “Updates” tab, the Status feature lets users post temporary text, photos, videos, or voice notes. Alongside personal updates from contacts, users will now encounter sponsored posts.
For years, Meta has explored integrating ads into WhatsApp, despite resistance from the app’s original founders. Plans for in-app advertising were shelved in 2020, but in 2023, WhatsApp’s head, Will Cathcart, confirmed ongoing efforts to introduce ads. Meta, which generated over $160 billion in ad revenue last year, is now moving forward with this strategy.
The ads will be personalized based on “limited” data, such as your location (country or city), language, followed channels, and interactions with ads on WhatsApp. Users can adjust ad settings through Meta’s Accounts Center if they’ve opted into this feature.
Meta emphasized that ads will not disrupt private conversations, stating, “We’ve long planned to create a business model that respects your personal chats, and the Updates tab is the ideal place for this.” The company also assured users that phone numbers will not be shared with advertisers, and personal messages, calls, or group chats will not influence ad targeting.
Beyond ads, WhatsApp is introducing other updates. Promoted channels will appear when users tap the Explore button to discover new channels. Additionally, a subscription option for channels will offer access to exclusive content.
