Meta brings ads to WhatsApp, opening new revenue streams in Updates tab

Meta is rolling out advertising and paid features in WhatsApp’s Updates tab, marking a formal break from its long-standing 'no ads' stance.

The new offering includes ads in Status, promoted Channels and paid subscriptions. These features will be limited to the Updates tab - used by more than 1.5 billion people a day globally - and won’t impact private, end-to-end encrypted chats.

Advertisers and Channel admins will now have a way to reach audiences through paid placements and promotions, with businesses also able to initiate conversations via clickable ads in Status.

Nikila Srinivasan, VP of business messaging at Meta, said personal messages, calls and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted.

"What this means is that no one, not even us, can see or hear them. And they cannot be used for ads.”

Meta said it has built these tools with privacy in mind, using only limited information such as location, language and channel interactions to tailor the experience. Users connected through Meta’s Accounts Center may also see preferences shared across platforms.

“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,” Srinivasan added.

The monetisation push follows years of pressure to turn WhatsApp’s massive reach into revenue. For marketers, it opens up a new channel for direct engagement - albeit in a tightly controlled, privacy-first environment.

Meta said it will roll changes out gradually over the coming months.