You will start seeing ads on your WhatsApp “Status” feature — as the messaging giant rolls out its latest revenue strategy. 

WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, has confirmed the new ad placements are part of broader efforts to monetise the platform while keeping the user experience largely uninterrupted. 

The ads, along with other features like channel subscriptions and promoted channels, will appear under the “Updates” tab, separate from your private chats. According to Meta, this ensures your conversations remain untouched, even as the company introduces more business-friendly tools to the platform. 

“This move is meant to help admins, organisations, and businesses grow on WhatsApp,” Meta said in a statement, signalling its shift towards turning WhatsApp into a more commercial ecosystem. 

Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, but the messaging app has remained the least monetised among Meta’s major platforms. In contrast, Facebook and Instagram have become advertising powerhouses, earning $26.63 and $23.58 per user, respectively, in 2023. 

WhatsApp has so far relied on revenues from its Business platform, which serves millions of small and large companies worldwide, click-to-WhatsApp ads from Facebook and Instagram, and limited rollouts of WhatsApp Pay in countries like Brazil and India. 

With over 1.5 billion daily users, WhatsApp has remained ad-free—until now. The introduction of ads to the Status feature represents a significant shift in how the app earns its keep in the Meta ecosystem. 

Meta has attempted to preempt privacy concerns by promising that only “limited information” will be used to personalise ads.

This includes your general location (city or country), preferred language, the channels you follow, and how you engage with ads in the Updates tab. 

Still, Meta’s track record with user data across its other platforms has led many to question how long this “limited use” promise will hold.

The company has repeatedly faced criticism for how its algorithms use behavioural data to deliver highly targeted advertising. 

WhatsApp began in 2009 as a paid service, charging a $1 fee either per download or annually, depending on the user’s country.

That model was scrapped in 2016, allowing the platform to grow rapidly—but leaving Meta without a clear monetisation plan for one of its most-used apps. 

That’s now changing. With the arrival of channel subscriptions, promoted content, and soon, AI-powered ad tools, Meta is laying the groundwork to turn WhatsApp into a full-fledged commercial hub.

The company has already announced plans to release AI advertising tools for WhatsApp by the end of 2026. These tools, still in development, aim to make it easier for businesses to create and manage ads directly on the app. 

WhatsApp’s monetisation is part of a broader shift in the digital advertising world. Big tech players like Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent), and Amazon are increasingly leaning on AI and personal data to deliver targeted ads and unlock new revenue streams. 

For users, this marks a new chapter in how they interact with WhatsApp. While personal messages may remain untouched, the app is no longer just a private messaging tool—it’s becoming a business platform too.