Meta Puts Ads On WhatsApp: Here’s What’s Changing
Meta is bringing advertisements to WhatsApp, marking a major shift for the globally popular messaging app.
A phone with a WhatsApp icon.
WhatsApp will now have ads on its Updates tab, Meta announced in a blog post on Monday, June 16. Meta purchased WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, adding to its portfolio that includes Facebook and Instagram.
The tech giant said ads won’t appear in private conversations on the app.
“Subscriptions, promotions and ads will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats,” Meta said. “This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, there will be no change to your experience at all.”
Meta is also hoping to monetize WhatsApp through paid subscriptions and search ads on the app’s Channels feature. About 1.5 billion daily users access the Updates tab, which includes Channels and Status,
CNBC
reported.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed his desire to make WhatsApp more profitable. The billionaire told analysts in April that messaging between brands and consumers “should be the next pillar of our business.”
WhatsApp is a very popular messaging app internationally, but is gaining traction in the US. Zuckerberg said more than 100 million Americans use the app and is “growing quickly there.”
This marks the first time ads are appearing directly on WhatsApp, whose founders previously resisted them. Jan Koum and Brian Acton were outspoken critics of advertising and eventually left Facebook over clashes about the app’s future.
Meta has already monetized WhatsApp through business tools that let companies communicate directly with users. Financial experts estimate WhatsApp has brought in between $500 million and $1 billion annually from those services.
Users will now be able to pay a monthly fee to support channels they enjoy—such as news outlets or creators—in exchange for exclusive content. WhatsApp will also begin recommending channels based on what users already follow, helping creators and businesses grow their audiences.
Meta says the new features are “built with privacy in mind.”
“Like everything else on WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most privacy-oriented way possible,” said Meta. “Your personal messages, calls and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one can see or hear them. That includes Meta.”
WhatsApp has more than three billion monthly users, according to Zuckerberg.
