- WhatsApp introduces ads in the News tab, but personal chats remain ad-free.
- Personalized ads and new monetization tools like subscriptions and promoted channels are coming to the platform.
- Meta ensures privacy is maintained: messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted.
- The rollout will be gradual and global, affecting more than 1.500 billion daily users of the News tab.
WhatsApp takes a significant turn in its commercial strategy by launching, after years of rumors and denials, ads and new ways to monetize within the app. This measure, announced by Meta, makes the messaging app the latest of the group's major platforms to incorporate advertising.
For now, Ads will not invade personal chats nor private conversations, keeping intact the traditional experience to which most users are accustomed. However, the What's New tab, that space where the States and the Channels reside, It will be the central point where advertising news will begin to be seen and other forms of direct income for creators and businesses.
How and where ads will appear on WhatsApp
Meta has confirmed that advertising, as well as new monetization features, will be limited exclusively to the What's New tabCurrently, more than 1.500 billion people access this section every day, which combines users' ephemeral stories and the channels they follow. Ads will be distributed in the following ways:
- Advertisements in the States: They will appear among contact posts, in a visual format similar to stories on other social media platforms. These ads will allow you to discover companies and products, and start conversations with businesses directly from the app.
- Promoted ChannelsChannel managers will be able to pay to feature their spaces in the official directory, increasing their visibility to users exploring new channels.
- Channel SubscriptionsSome channels will offer exclusive content to users who subscribe for a monthly fee. This feature is geared toward both businesses and content creators.
Advertising will not interfere with private conversations or groupsUsers who use WhatsApp solely for chatting will continue to notice no changes in their daily experience.
Privacy and data management: what changes does advertising introduce?
Meta insists on protecting privacy as one of the keys to this launch. Personal messages, calls, and user statuses are still end-to-end encryption, which means that nobody, not even the company itself, can access its content.
To customize the ads shown in States and Channels, WhatsApp will use limited information such as country, language, channels followed, and interactions on the News tab. If the user has integrated their WhatsApp account into the Meta Account Center (for example, associated with Facebook or Instagram), advertising preferences and data from the group's other platforms will also be taken into account.
Meta states that will never sell or share your phone number of users with advertisers, and that private conversations, calls and groups will not be used to decide which ads the platform displays.
New opportunities for creators and businesses
Shortly after the changes in the states, WhatsApp opens the door to new revenue streams for both Meta and channel managers, creators and businesses. The channels They will be able to attract subscribers through exclusive paid content and increase your audience thanks to paid promotion within the WhatsApp directory. In addition, businesses can take advantage of the function of ads in States to connect directly with potential customers and start conversations from the same application.
This strategy brings WhatsApp closer to the typical advertising business model of other platforms in the group, such as Instagram and Facebook, while maintaining a certain separation from the more private environment of conversationsFor now, the company remains committed to not introducing ads in chats or on home screens.
Gradual rollout and worldwide reach
The deployment of these functions will be progressive.Currently, ads and monetization options are available only to a limited group of users and businesses, but global expansion will occur in the coming months.
WhatsApp officials have indicated that the implementation will be gradual and that the introduction of ads in the News tab represents only the first step in a broader roadmap for monetizing and developing new tools on the platform.
Meta emphasizes that WhatsApp's reputation as a secure and private service remains a priority, although the arrival of advertising marks the end of the "ad-free" era that has characterized the platform since its inception. Users who regularly use Status and Channels will notice the changes quickly, while Those who only use the chat with friends and family will continue to enjoy the environment without ad interruptions..
The panorama of instant messaging is transformed with this decisionWhatsApp is positioning itself as a platform that combines privacy and new revenue opportunities, opening doors for both creators and businesses, as well as challenges in the areas of user experience and data protection.
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