Here's a simple summary of the recent changes to WhatsApp:
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Meta has started showing ads on WhatsApp for the first time.
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Where? Ads will appear in the “Status” section of the Updates tab, similar to Instagram or Facebook Stories.
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What won’t change?
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No ads in personal chats, messages, or group conversations.
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Messages remain end-to-end encrypted.
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New Features in the Updates Tab:
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Ads in Status – Sponsored content shown alongside contacts’ updates.
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Channel Subscriptions – Users can pay monthly to follow certain channels.
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Promoted Channels – Paid promotions will appear in the Explore section to help admins reach more users.
How Ads Work:
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Ads are personalised using limited data: your location, language, channels you follow, and how you interact with ads.
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If your WhatsApp is linked to Meta’s Accounts Center, your ad preferences on Facebook and Instagram may also apply.
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Meta says it won’t sell or share phone numbers with advertisers.
Why This Matters:
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This is a major step in WhatsApp's monetisation strategy, bringing it closer to Facebook and Instagram.
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Meta earned over $160 billion in ad revenue last year; WhatsApp is now part of that ecosystem.
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WhatsApp now has 1.5 billion daily users, giving Meta a massive new space for advertising.
Bottom line: Ads have officially come to WhatsApp, but they’ll stay out of personal chats — for now.
