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WhatsApp Launches Ads In Status, Adds Paid Channel Features

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WhatsApp Launches Ads In Status, Adds Paid Channel Features

Reading time: 2 min

Last Updated: Jun 17, 2025

Written by Kiara Fabbri Multimedia Journalist
Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Content Manager

The messaging app WhatsApp has introduced advertising for the first time through its “Updates” section, which contains Status and Channels features.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

WhatsApp will show ads in the Status section of the Updates tab.
Ads won’t appear in personal messages, calls, or group chats.
Channel subscriptions allow creators to offer updates.

The parent company, Meta, announced on Monday that users will encounter sponsored content while viewing Status updates, in a manner similar to Instagram Stories.

The advertising system will not interrupt personal chat conversations. The ads will appear exclusively within the Updates tab. “We will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers,” the company said. It added that messages, calls, and group chats remain end-to-end encrypted and will not be used to personalize ads.

Meta says that the advertising system will use limited user information, including location and language, together with your channel preferences and responses to ads. Users who link their WhatsApp account to Meta’s Account Center will see ads based on their preferences across Meta platforms.

“[The new ads and promotion products] felt like the next natural evolution,” said Alice Newton-Rex, VP of Product at WhatsApp, as reported by TechCrunch. “Both those businesses have scaled to help people discover businesses directly within WhatsApp,” she added.

Alongside ads, the platform introduces two new features, which include promoted channels, and channel subscriptions. Businesses, together with creators, can now pay to promote their channels in the Explore section. Additionally, the platform will enable selected channels to receive monthly subscription fees for premium content through app store payment systems.

The company says this expansion helps businesses connect with users without disrupting private conversations. These updates will be introduced globally in the coming months.

Kiara Fabbri

Written by: Kiara Fabbri

Hi, I’m Kiara Fabbri a Tech News Writer at WatchEverywhere. I'm a multimedia journalist with a keen interest in innovative and immersive news storytelling. Fluent in three languages—Italian, English, and Spanish—I'm deeply engaged in all facets of news reporting. I am currently undertaking a Ph.D. exploring VR applications in journalism. Following my studies in psychology (BSc) and political psychology (MSc), I embarked on a three-year journey across South America. During this time, I undertook a 4000 km solo bicycle trip from Chile to Brazil. There, I camped, cooked on the road, and volunteered in various facilities. It was during these travels that I discovered my passion for journalism. Subsequently, I pursued a Master's program in journalism innovation and enterprise. My career in journalism has seen me produce VR immersive experiences covering a range of topics. These include documenting an Anti Militaristic raid of a NATO Base, life in the Brazilian Favelas, the recent violent protest clashes in Buenos Aires and finally social projects run by Skaters in the Argentinian ghettos. In addition to my journalistic endeavours, I also practice parkour, a discipline I have cultivated over several years now. I love to make the most of this skill in my journalistic style; for example, it has enabled me to capture dynamic footage from heights during the recent violent clashes in Buenos Aires. There, I scaled heights and employed a long stick on my camera to create aerial 360° views. Through my dedication to pushing the boundaries of journalism, I am committed to amplifying voices, sparking meaningful conversations, and driving positive change in the world.

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