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After years of being ad-free, WhatsApp is officially entering the world of in-app advertising. The Meta-owned messaging app announced that users will soon begin seeing ads on the Status screen, WhatsApp’s version of Stories — a move aimed at helping businesses grow and giving creators new tools to connect with audiences.
The new feature will function similarly to Instagram Stories, where ads appear in between user content. So, after scrolling through a few friends’ Status updates, users might start seeing short, targeted promotions.
WhatsApp says these ads will be tailored based on general signals like the user’s language, city or country, and the Channels they follow — not on personal messages or call data. For those who have linked their account to Meta’s Account Center, preferences from that connection may also shape the types of ads shown.
News: WhatsApp is adding ads to the Updates tab, in Status, and Channels.
• Chats stay private and won’t have ads.
• If you don’t use Status or Channels, you won’t see ads.
• Businesses can pay to show their Channels more.
• Some Channels may offer paid content.
• Ads use… pic.twitter.com/FXr2DIaGgS— Tech Nrok (@technrok) June 16, 2025
“We’ve built this with privacy in mind,” a company spokesperson confirmed. “Your messages, calls, and groups remain private and encrypted. We do not use that data to serve ads.”
In addition to ads, WhatsApp is rolling out promotional tools for Channels — its one-to-many broadcast feature. Businesses and creators will be able to promote their Channels in the discovery section of the app. Some Channels will also be able to offer exclusive content through paid subscriptions, handled securely through app store payment systems.
With over 1.5 billion people using Status and Channels each day, Meta sees this as a natural evolution of how people use WhatsApp to stay informed, connect, and do business.
“Bringing ads to Status and promotional tools to Channels felt like the next logical step,” said Alice Newton Rex, WhatsApp’s VP of Product. “We’ve already seen strong growth from our business messaging tools, and this builds on that momentum by helping users discover businesses and creators in new ways.”
Until now, WhatsApp’s primary revenue came from its Business platform and click-to-WhatsApp ads used across Meta’s platforms. With this update, the app is tapping into its massive daily user base to support creators and businesses more directly.
The new ad features will roll out globally in the coming months, with select regions getting early access as part of a phased launch.
