WhatsApp Begins Displaying Ads in Status; Meta Assures Personal Chats Stay Private

In a significant shift to its long-standing ad-free identity, WhatsApp has started showing advertisements in the app’s Updates tab, specifically within the Status feature. This marks the first time Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is integrating ad-based monetisation into the messaging platform—an app used by over 1.5 billion users daily.

The update, announced via WhatsApp’s official blog on Monday, is aimed at generating revenue without compromising the app's core promise of privacy and end-to-end encryption. The company unveiled three new features under the Updates tab: ads in Status, channel subscriptions, and promoted channels in the Explore section.

Ads in Status: What to Expect

The new advertising strategy leverages the Status feature, which functions similarly to Instagram or Facebook Stories—allowing users to post disappearing content like text, photos, or videos for 24 hours. Ads will now appear alongside user-generated Status updates, making them visible while users browse through content shared by their contacts.

Crucially, Meta emphasised that private chats, calls, and group conversations will remain ad-free.

“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,” said WhatsApp in the blog post.

New Monetisation Tools for Channels

Alongside advertisements, WhatsApp is rolling out a subscription model for channels. This allows users to pay a monthly fee for exclusive content and updates from creators and organisations they follow. In addition, promoted channels will now feature in the Explore section, giving admins a chance to increase their channel’s reach.

These changes are part of WhatsApp’s broader strategy to align more closely with Meta's successful monetisation models already in place on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which helped the tech giant earn over $160 billion in ad revenue last year.

Privacy and Ad Targeting

Addressing privacy concerns, Meta clarified how ad targeting on WhatsApp will function. Ads will be customised using limited user data—such as city or country, language settings, followed channels, and engagement with ads. However, if users have linked WhatsApp to Meta’s Accounts Center, ad preferences from Facebook and Instagram may also influence the targeting.

Meta reiterated that it does not share or sell phone numbers to advertisers, and that personal messaging content remains out of reach for ad algorithms.

“We believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features,” WhatsApp reiterated in its announcement, underlining its commitment to non-intrusive monetisation.

This move comes after years of speculation and internal testing. In 2023, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart confirmed the platform was exploring ad integration. With this rollout, WhatsApp takes its first official step into the advertising space—seeking to strike a balance between revenue generation and user trust.