Facebook’s WhatsApp is dipping its toes into the water with ads — a feature that’s been coming for years. It’s now finally happening. For the first time since its inception in 2009, the world’s largest messaging app is letting companies advertise within its service.

WhatsApp’s ads are already out. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has confirmed that the company has started rolling out ads within its “Updates” section — where people share short-lived posts, called Statuses, or subscribe to channels. The company says that it will only target ads at people through the ‘Updates’ section, and that it will never show them to people during chats. Messages sent between people or groups will not include ads, and the company says that the ad placements will avoid interfering with the conversations. Meta says that the update is only intended to surface advertisements in the ‘Updates’ section, and won’t be “interfering with or limiting your ability to communicate privately.”

The new update is also starting to surface as Meta reports that over 1.5 billion people visit the Updates section every day. So if you don’t check it regularly, you might not even notice the new ads at all. However, if you’re one of the 2 billion people that regularly use the section to check out what friends and businesses are sharing on Status or Channels, then you’ll see ads there soon.

Three types of ads — and a Subscription Option

The new WhatsApp ads come in three different flavors.

The first is Status, which lets people share images, videos, or text posts that last for a short period of time. These ads will show up alongside friends’ statuses in the Status section. Instead of seeing your friend’s new statuses, you’ll see promotional content. Users can reach out to the advertiser directly from the ads to chat with them. WhatsApp also says that it will create a new business-to-consumer channel with these changes, which you’ll be able to use to directly reach out to the advertisers.

Second, there’s the new Promoted Channels. Channel admins will be able to pay to promote their Channel within the app. Meta says it will be a new way for organizations, content creators, and businesses to build an audience for their Channel, without needing to use third-party services for promotions.

Third, there’s a new subscription model that will allow businesses to create exclusive updates behind a paywall. A cooking page could charge a small fee for people to access premium recipes and announcements, and Meta says it will be another way for creators to monetize their content while giving WhatsApp another revenue stream.

The entire update is part of a broader effort to make WhatsApp more friendly for businesses. In a briefing, Alice Newton Rex, the VP of Product at WhatsApp, said that the update was a “natural evolution” given the Business Platform and the company’s click-to-WhatsApp ads on Facebook and Instagram have grown over the years.

The move has been anticipated for years, and has long been seen as a key part of Meta’s effort to expand beyond the traditional Meta platforms. So why now? Well, the company’s product roadmap says that the feature has been in development since 2021.

WhatsApp’s strong image as a private and secure messaging platform meant that the change was sure to raise eyebrows. Meta says that ad targeting will be based on broad user data, including your country, age, language settings, and city. WhatsApp won’t use the content of your messages for ads, but will instead use the activity in Status and Channels. It’ll factor in what Channels you follow, how you interact with content, and if you click on the ads, to determine which ads you see.

In addition, WhatsApp users who use the Accounts Center — an optional setting — will be able to link activity from other Meta properties, including Facebook and Instagram, to their WhatsApp experience. The feature is opt-in and can be disabled at any time.

The company says that users will also be able to manage ad preferences and see why a specific ad is shown to them. You can also hide ads or report them, and you can also block specific advertisers.

WhatsApp made its money previously from the WhatsApp Business Platform, and Facebook/Instagram ads that link to a WhatsApp conversation. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last week that business messaging was growing rapidly — but said that WhatsApp could drive even more revenue with its large user base.

It’s not alone. Discord announced ads in 2024. Reddit has also increased its ad offerings and saw its first profitable quarter. And with nearly every other social platform relying on advertising, the move makes sense.

WhatsApp’s ads aren’t just a product decision. The company has always said that it would remain ad-free, but with 98% of its revenue coming from advertising, and with Meta having paid $16 billion to acquire the company in 2014, the company’s investment here is clear.

The update will not have a huge impact on most people’s experience. For now, anyway. But WhatsApp is open to the change, and with Meta’s desire to capitalize on the app, the move could signal the beginning of something much larger.