The WhatsApp changes you’ve been waiting for are here. No, I’m not talking about encrypted backups. The biggest change is finally here: WhatsApp is bringing ads to its service. For the first time since the company launched in 2009, the messaging giant is welcoming advertisers.

It’s already underway. Meta has confirmed ads are rolling out to the “Updates” section — the part of the app where users post statuses or follow channels. Crucially, Meta says these ads will not affect your conversations. Personal chats and group messages will stay ad-free. It notes the ads are targeted so they do not interrupt conversations. Meta also says the ad placement is “focused on updates that don’t appear in your chats.”

Meta says 1.5 billion people see the Updates tab every day, making it a lucrative place for impressions. But if you’re one of the few who rarely opens that tab, you might not even notice. If you use the Status and Channels frequently, however, you’ll start seeing ads.

Three Types of Ads — and a Subscription

WhatsApp’s ad model is based on three ad formats.

First, the Status tab — which allows you to post time-limited content like photos, videos, or text — will now feature ads from businesses. These will appear in your feed alongside the updates from your friends. But rather than your friends’ updates, you’ll see product promotions. You can reply to the advertiser from the ad, creating a business-to-consumer chat.

Next are Promoted Channels. Channel admins can pay to promote their Channel in the app. Meta sees this as an opportunity for organizations, creators, and brands to build audiences without relying on off-app promotion.

Finally, businesses can now offer exclusive updates in paid Channels. Say a cooking page charges a small monthly fee for exclusive recipes and notifications. Meta says this is another way for creators to make money — while WhatsApp gets another revenue stream.

All of this fits into a broader push to make WhatsApp more business-friendly. Meta’s Alice Newton Rex, VP of Product, called the move a “natural evolution” — particularly as the WhatsApp Business Platform and Facebook and Instagram click-to-WhatsApp ads have already grown.

Privacy Promises and Data Use

It’s no surprise that WhatsApp’s ad implementation raised privacy concerns. After all, WhatsApp has long positioned itself as a private, secure platform. Meta promises this is still the case.

Meta says ad targeting will only use basic user data — like your country, age, language, and city. WhatsApp will not use the content of your messages for ads. Instead, it will rely on your activity in Status and Channels. What Channels you follow, how you interact with content, and if you click on ads — all of this will help shape what ads you see.

Users who connect WhatsApp to Meta’s Accounts Center — an optional feature — can bring over preferences to ads. This includes connecting activity from Facebook or Instagram to your WhatsApp experience. The feature is off by default and can be turned off at any time.

WhatsApp will also let users control ad preferences. You’ll be able to see why a particular ad was shown to you, hide ads, or report them. You can even block specific advertisers.

WhatsApp has relied on its WhatsApp Business Platform and Facebook/Instagram ads that connect to a WhatsApp thread for its revenue streams until now. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week that business messaging is growing fast — but said WhatsApp could earn even more revenue with its vast user base.

It’s not the only platform headed this way. Discord started adding ads in 2024. Reddit has ramped up its ad push as well — helping the platform turn its first profitable quarter. Nearly all platforms are increasingly dependent on ads. WhatsApp’s move fits that trend.

WhatsApp promised for years to stay ad-free. Now that Meta makes 98% of its revenue from ads and spent $16 billion to buy WhatsApp in 2014, it’s eager to cash in.

Most users will not see much of a difference in their experience — at least, for now. But the door is open. And with Meta’s strong desire to monetize WhatsApp, these changes could just be the beginning.