WhatsApp Launches Ads in Status Screen

After years of providing free services without conditions, WhatsApp is planning to roll out advertisements on its popular chat app. Users will see ads solely on the Status screen — comparable to Instagram’s Stories.

Similar to encountering an ad after going through several stories on Instagram, users will find ads on WhatsApp after browsing multiple Status updates.

The company revealed that its advertising framework considers elements like users’ location, language settings, followed channels, and their interactions with ads.

Meta emphasized that it will not use personally identifiable information, such as users’ phone numbers, messages, calls, or groups, to serve targeted ads. If a user has connected their WhatsApp account with Meta’s Account Center, the company will utilize their account preferences for advertising purposes.

The company also plans to allow brands and users to promote their Channels, WhatsApp’s broadcasting feature, within the discovery area. Moreover, certain creators and businesses will have the option to charge users a subscription for exclusive Channel updates, with payments handled via app stores.

Meta noted that more than 1.5 billion users interact with Status and Channels every day.

Previously, WhatsApp generated revenue through its WhatsApp Business platform and click-to-WhatsApp ads, which Meta has frequently mentioned as expanding revenue sources in its latest earnings reports.

Alice Newton Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, stated during a briefing that introducing ads is a logical evolution for the app’s revenue streams.

“[The new ads and promotional products] felt like the next natural step, especially since both those businesses have progressed to help users discover businesses directly through WhatsApp. This was increasingly what we were hearing from businesses that they wanted to achieve,” she remarked.

WhatsApp indicated that these new ads and features are set to be launched globally in the coming months.