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Key Points

WhatsApp is introducing ads in its Updates tab, including Status and Channels, while keeping personal chats ad-free. The move marks Meta’s push to monetize WhatsApp after years of speculation. Paid subscriptions and promoted channels will help creators and businesses earn directly. The rollout will be gradual, starting in select markets with privacy safeguards.

Key Points: WhatsApp to Show Ads in Updates Tab While Keeping Chats Ad-Free

  • Ads limited to Updates tab including Status and Channels
  • Personal messaging remains ad-free and encrypted
  • Paid subscriptions and promoted channels introduced
  • Rollout to begin in select countries
3 min read

WhatsApp to start showing ads in updates tab, personal chats to remain unaffected

WhatsApp confirms ads in Updates tab but assures personal chats remain unaffected, introducing paid features for creators and businesses.

"We’ve been talking about building a business that doesn’t interrupt your personal chats for years. – WhatsApp"

New Delhi, June 16

WhatsApp on Monday announced that it will soon introduce advertisements and other paid features in a major shift for the messaging app, which has mostly remained ad-free since its launch.

The move marks WhatsApp’s most significant step toward monetisation since it was acquired by Meta in 2014.

The company said the new advertising features will be limited to the ‘Updates’ tab, which includes Channels and Status -- features that are used by over 1.5 billion people daily.

It clarified that users who only use WhatsApp for personal messaging will not see any change in their experience.

Chats, calls, and groups will continue to be free from ads and will remain end-to-end encrypted.

"We’ve been talking about building a business that doesn’t interrupt your personal chats for years, and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features," WhatsApp said in a statement.

The new features include paid channel subscriptions, promoted channels in the Discovery section, and ads in the Status feature -- WhatsApp’s version of Instagram Stories.

These updates are being rolled out gradually over the next few months and will first appear in select countries.

Users will now be able to subscribe to their favourite channels for a monthly fee and receive exclusive updates.

This feature aims to offer a new way for creators and organisations to earn money directly through WhatsApp.

Additionally, WhatsApp is introducing promoted channels. This will help users discover new and relevant content while giving channel admins a tool to improve their visibility through the directory.

This is the first time WhatsApp is offering a promotion feature to enhance discoverability.

However, WhatsApp has assured its users that these new features are confined to the Updates tab and will not affect personal messaging.

"If you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, there is no change to your experience at all," the company said in its official statement.

The announcement comes as Meta looks for new ways to make money from WhatsApp, which has over two billion monthly active users.

For years, industry experts have predicted that Meta would eventually introduce advertising on WhatsApp due to its massive global reach and high engagement levels.

While the exact launch dates for these new features have not been confirmed, WhatsApp said they will be introduced gradually and carefully, with privacy protections in place.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
As long as personal chats remain ad-free, I'm okay with this change. WhatsApp is a business after all and needs to make money. Just hope they don't eventually sneak ads into chats like other platforms! 🤞
P
Priya M.
Not happy about this at all. First they ruined Instagram with ads, now WhatsApp. In India, WhatsApp is essential for daily communication. They should have kept it completely free like before. 😒
A
Amit S.
The Updates tab is barely used by most Indians I know. If this helps WhatsApp stay free for messaging, it's a fair trade. Just hope the ads aren't too intrusive like those full-screen ones on other apps.
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Neha P.
This is concerning for small businesses in India who rely on WhatsApp. If they start prioritizing paid channels, ordinary shopkeepers and service providers might lose visibility. Hope they maintain some balance.
S
Sanjay T.
Meta bought WhatsApp promising no ads. Now they're breaking that promise. Typical corporate behavior! Indian users should consider alternatives like Signal if this gets worse. 🇮🇳
M
Meera R.
The paid channel feature could be good for Indian content creators to monetize their work. But WhatsApp needs to be transparent about data usage - we've seen how Meta handles user privacy before!
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Vikram D.
Most Indians won't even notice these changes since we mainly use WhatsApp for chats. But I worry this is just the first step - next they'll introduce ads everywhere like Facebook. Time to teach my parents how to use Signal!

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