This is the first time that WhatsApp has ever shown ads.

That’s right. A company that made its name on simplicity, privacy, and no ads is now opening its gates to ads. But there’s no need to freak out — your messages and group chats won’t be cluttered with sponsored content any time soon.

Instead, Meta — the company behind WhatsApp — has confirmed that these ads will only show up under the “Updates” tab. That’s where you post Status updates or follow Channels based on your interests. So the ad experience is purposefully being confined to this section and not your main chat screen.

More than 1.5 billion people check the Updates tab every day, Meta says. That’s a huge audience — and a big draw for advertisers. But if you just use WhatsApp to send messages and voice notes to friends or family, you may never see an ad.

Still, this marks a big change.

WhatsApp will show three types of ads. First, there will be status ads, which show up in the Status section. That’s where you and your friends share photos, videos, or messages that disappear after 24 hours. But now, in addition to what your friends are sharing, you might see content from advertisers. Here’s the catch: you can reply to status ads and even start a conversation with the business directly on WhatsApp.

Next, there are promoted channels. This means Channel admins — which could be a news outlet, a brand, or a content creator — can now pay to increase their reach. It’s a clear move to help businesses grow directly on WhatsApp’s platform.

Finally, there are paid channels, which let businesses create subscriptions where followers can get exclusive content. Say a cooking channel gives out premium recipes to paying followers. It’s another way for creators and businesses to make money on the platform.

And with ads comes privacy concerns. After all, they’re coming to a platform many people rely on for private and secure communication.

So, the obvious question is: how much data will you give up?

According to Meta, the targeting will be based on broad information, such as your country code, age, device language settings, and your approximate location (city or region, not exact GPS). The company will also consider how you use the Updates tab, the channels you follow, the content you engage with, and how you respond to ads you see.

But don’t worry — your actual chat content is still encrypted. Still inaccessible.

Meta will also let you choose to link your WhatsApp to its broader Accounts Center, which uses data from Facebook and Instagram to surface more relevant ads. The feature is off by default. And, yes, you can opt out at any time.

Plus, there’s an added layer of transparency. You’ll be able to see why a specific ad was shown to you. You can edit your ad preferences. You can even block or report ads you think are intrusive or irrelevant. So while ads are here — you still have some control.

All of this comes from Meta’s push to monetize WhatsApp.

Until now, the only real way Meta made money off of WhatsApp was through its Business Platform, a paid solution for businesses to talk to customers. There were also click-to-chat ads on Facebook and Instagram that directed users to WhatsApp.

But on a recent investor call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg mentioned the bigger picture. The Business Platform was doing well, he said — but there’s more opportunity there. Now, by showing ads directly in the WhatsApp app, Meta is opening up that opportunity.

“ This is the natural evolution of WhatsApp,” Alice Newton Rex, WhatsApp’s vice president of product, said. “Businesses wanted to do more, and we’ve been listening to them.”

What’s more, WhatsApp isn’t alone in this transition.

Discord introduced ads in 2024. Reddit made its first profit, driven by advertisers. Social platforms everywhere are doubling down on monetization as the digital ad market continues to shift.

WhatsApp itself resisted ads for more than a decade. But now that Meta wants to tap WhatsApp’s full potential — and 98% of Meta’s revenue already comes from advertising — this new strategy isn’t all that surprising.

For now, the ad experience on WhatsApp is pretty bare bones. But it won’t stay that way for long.

So while your chats are still secure and your messaging experience isn’t changing much — WhatsApp is officially entering a new era. One where business and conversation meet — and ads creep into a platform that once vowed they’d never exist.