WhatsApp, the globally popular messaging platform, is about to take a bold new step in its evolution — and users will notice it in the Status section. This was announced in a recent post about a major revamp to its Updates tab. The app, used by over 1.5 billion people daily, is introducing ads within the Status feed, a move that signals the beginning of visible monetization across the platform while still aiming to respect user privacy.
Much like Instagram Stories, WhatsApp Status lets users post images, videos, and text updates that disappear after 24 hours. Now, in a shift reminiscent of Instagram’s ad model, WhatsApp will begin showing ads after a few Status updates. These ads will appear only in the Updates tab — not within personal chats — ensuring a clear separation between private communication and promotional content.
Why Ads in Status?
For years, WhatsApp avoided advertising to protect the user experience. But as Meta, its parent company, scales its revenue streams, ads in Status offer a logical expansion. Speaking on this shift, Alice Newton-Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, noted that this was “the next natural evolution” for the app. Businesses, she said, have increasingly wanted to reach users directly within the app — not just through conversations, but via content discovery.
In line with this, WhatsApp is also introducing Channel subscriptions and Promoted Channels — allowing creators and businesses to monetize their content and reach wider audiences. Subscription-based Channels will offer exclusive updates behind a paywall, while Promoted Channels will appear based on user interests.
Keeping Privacy Intact
While the idea of ads on WhatsApp may raise eyebrows, the company has emphasized its privacy-first approach. No personal messages, calls, or group chats will be scanned or used for ad targeting. Instead, ads will rely on broad signals like country, language, followed Channels, and past ad interactions. If a user links their WhatsApp account to Meta’s Account Center, additional preferences may inform ad recommendations — but critically, phone numbers and private chat content will remain off-limits.
WhatsApp’s design ensures that ads do not intrude into personal spaces, focusing solely on the Updates tab. This preserves the platform’s core promise of secure, encrypted messaging.
What It Means for Users and Businesses
For users, this means encountering occasional ads while scrolling through Status updates — similar to the experience on Instagram. For businesses, however, it opens a new frontier. With the ability to promote Channels and offer subscriptions, small and large businesses alike can now connect with audiences in a more structured, scalable way.
As WhatsApp’s new features roll out globally in the coming months, the platform is clearly transforming — not into an ad-heavy space, but into a more interactive ecosystem for content discovery, business engagement, and creator monetization.
