WhatsApp to introduce ads in updates tab as meta seeks new revenue streams

According to the company, ads will only appear in the “Updates” tab, which includes content like statuses and followed channels — not in personal chats or calls. The tab is accessed by up to 1.5 billion users daily, making it a prime space for monetization.

“The personal messaging experience on WhatsApp isn’t changing,” the company emphasized in a blog post. “Messages, calls and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted and won’t be used to deliver ads.”

The move represents a strategic pivot from the platform’s original philosophy. WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton with a pledge to keep it free of advertisements. Facebook’s acquisition of the platform in 2014, however, laid the groundwork for future monetization. Both founders left the company following disagreements with Facebook’s direction.

Now under the umbrella of Meta Platforms Inc., WhatsApp is set to follow a broader business model where advertising fuels growth. Meta, which earned $164.5 billion in revenue in 2025 — $160.6 billion of that from advertising — is increasingly turning to WhatsApp as its next major commercial frontier.

Ads will be targeted based on users’ age, location, language, followed channels, and in-app interactions with previous ads. However, private conversations and group chats will remain off-limits for ad targeting, the company reiterated.

In addition to ads in the Updates tab, Meta also unveiled two other features aimed at expanding WhatsApp's business potential:

Paid Subscriptions: Channel creators can now charge monthly fees for exclusive updates.

Promoted Channels: Businesses can pay to boost the visibility of their WhatsApp channels to attract new followers.

The announcements mark a key step in Meta’s effort to commercialize WhatsApp without compromising its core private messaging function — a move likely to spark both interest and criticism among global users.