On Monday, June 16, WhatsApp announced plans to introduce ads and paid subscriptions, marking its most significant push into advertising to date. This shift is notable for a platform that has remained mostly ad-free since its inception. The decision comes despite previous denials in 2023 by WhatsApp's leadership, who had dismissed reports suggesting the Meta-owned app was considering ads to increase revenue.

Since Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014, the platform has largely avoided advertising—unlike Facebook, Instagram, and other social media services. Users and regulators have closely monitored whether Meta would eventually attempt to monetize WhatsApp, which has been valued for its private, family-and-friends-oriented messaging experience.

Figure 1. WhatsApp to Launch Ads

Until now, WhatsApp's advertising efforts have mainly been limited to promotional messages sent through WhatsApp Business to users who opted in, along with small-scale testing of Status ads in select regions. The app has not featured display ads within chat feeds or conversations. Figure 1 shows WhatsApp to Launch Ads.

What We Know About WhatsApp’s Plans for Ads and Paid Subscriptions

WhatsApp has announced plans to introduce three new monetisation features within its Updates tab, which includes Channels and Status and is used by 1.5 billion people daily. These features include paid channel subscriptions, promoted channels in the Discovery directory, and ads within Status — WhatsApp’s version of Instagram Stories.

The company emphasized that users who use WhatsApp solely for personal messaging will not be affected, as the new features are restricted to the Updates tab, which can be turned off in settings [1]. WhatsApp reassured users that all personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain end-to-end encrypted and won’t be used for ad targeting.

To show ads, WhatsApp will use only basic information like users’ country, device language, and activity within the Updates tab — not phone numbers, personal messages, or group memberships. Meta aims to gradually roll out these features over the coming months as part of its broader strategy to monetise WhatsApp’s user base of over two billion monthly active users.

References:

1. https://www.augustman.com/sg/gear/tech/whatsapp-ads-paid-subscriptions-new-features/

Cite this article:

Janani R (2025), WhatsApp to Launch Ads and Paid Subscription Options Soon, AnaTechMaz, pp. 285