Like its other services, Meta will bring ads to WhatsApp in the form of promoted channels and status ads.
Additionally, to support creators, WhatsApp will introduce support for channel subscriptions.
WhatsApp Status will soon show ads
Facebook acquired WhatsApp for a staggering $19 billion in 2014. In the ten years since then, Meta has continuously improved the messaging service and deepened its integration with Facebook and Instagram. But unlike its other services, it kept ads out of WhatsApp. That’s changing now, with Meta introducing ads in Status.
Meta will allow businesses to promote their products or services in Status, enabling them to reach potentially 1.5 billion people who use WhatsApp daily. Likewise, creators can promote their channels in WhatsApp’s directory for greater visibility.
To ensure ads don’t ruin your chat experience, Meta will keep the ads limited to Status. They won’t appear in your chat inbox; that experience remains unaffected.
In its announcement, the company says, “We’ve been talking about our plans to build a business that does not interrupt your personal chats for years and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features to work.” Meta reiterates it won’t sell your data, including your personal messages and phone numbers, to advertisers.
To show relevant ads, Meta will use your country, city, language, and the Channels you follow.
Lastly, users can support their favorite channels by subscribing to them for a monthly fee. This will entitle them to exclusive updates.
Ads may affect WhatsApp’s growth in the U.S.
WhatsApp serves as the go-to messaging platform for over 1.5 billion people worldwide, making it one of the most widely used communication apps on the planet. While it hasn’t gained the same level of popularity in the United States — where iMessage still dominates — Meta’s messaging service has steadily gained traction in recent years.
While the introduction of ads will help Meta monetize WhatsApp’s large user base, it could also negatively affect the messaging service’s growth in the U.S.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
