For the first time since its inception in 2009, WhatsApp is introducing ads.

For years, the messaging platform has prided itself on its clean, ad-free interface. But now, after almost 13 years, the company has decided to incorporate advertisements. Although, they are slowly and selectively making their way into the platform.

What does that mean for the average user?

If you are someone who primarily uses WhatsApp for private messaging and group chats, you likely won’t notice a thing. Meta (WhatsApp’s parent company) states that personal chats will remain ad-free. The Updates tab, where ads will be shown, is where people view Status updates or follow Channels around specific interests, news, or entertainment.

It’s a balancing act between monetization and user privacy.

Ads That Don’t “interrupt personal Chats”

That is the goal, according to Meta. It is all about non-conversational zones. You won’t see ads in your messages. Instead, they will appear in non-conversational sections. Users scrolling through status updates will now see posts from advertisers in between their friends and followers. These ads can look just like any other status story — photos, videos, or text — but now they come from businesses. They can even start a conversation with the advertiser right within WhatsApp.

There are also Promoted Channels — a new ad type that will allow admins to promote the visibility of their channel. It’s a new feature designed to help businesses and content creators grow their audiences organically within the app.

Lastly, WhatsApp is testing a subscription model. Yes, you read that correctly. Businesses will be able to charge users a monthly fee to access exclusive content. Think a cooking channel with paid recipes or alerts for premium subscribers.

It seems strange to have ads pop up on a platform known for its privacy — but, hear me out. Meta promises to be careful about it.

The company states that the targeting for ads will rely only on broad data such as country, city, language, age range, and phone settings. It will also consider how you engage with content in Status and Channels. For example, which channels you follow, what you engage with, and even how you respond to the ads.

The company also emphasizes that your private messages remain encrypted and unchanged.

Some overlap with other Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) may occur — if you link your WhatsApp account to Meta’s Accounts Center. This is turned off by default. But, if activated, it will enable Meta to utilize your activity across all its apps to show more personalized ads.

You will also have some control. WhatsApp will allow you to see why a particular ad was shown to you, hide or report an ad, and even manage your preferences for ad topics or advertisers.

The Business Behind the Change

It’s not completely unexpected. After all, Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) has been trying to transition WhatsApp beyond being a free messaging platform for years. Until now, most of WhatsApp’s revenue has been generated through its Business Platform and “Click-to-WhatsApp” ads on Facebook and Instagram. The Click-to-WhatsApp ads allow businesses to start conversations with potential customers directly through advertisements.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in April that the WhatsApp Business Platform is growing rapidly. But there was clear desire to extract more value from the 2 billion+ WhatsApp users.

Alice Newton Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, told me in a product briefing that this is the “next natural evolution.” The business platform is already helping people discover companies on WhatsApp — and now ads will create that opportunity.

This is what we’ve been hearing from businesses that use the app.

A Growing Trend in Social Apps

WhatsApp isn’t the only one making this change. Other messaging platforms are following suit. Discord began to run ads in 2024. Reddit, a social news forum, made its first profit after advertising was introduced. Even platforms known for community-driven features are being pressured into the ad economy.

A more significant factor is the economic landscape. With a stagnant global economy and unpredictable ad spending, platforms are seeking more reliable streams of revenue. For Meta, 98% of its recent revenue was generated through advertising. It is no surprise that WhatsApp — long viewed as an untapped gold mine — will join the mix.

For now, the ad experience on WhatsApp is still relatively muted. However, with Meta’s intense focus on advertising and maximizing platform utility, many suspect this is just the beginning.