Tech Desk 
Nov 16, 2025
The Whatsapp logo and binary cyber codes are seen in this illustration taken November 26, 2019. — Reuters
Part of Meta's moves to expand revenue streams, WhatsApp is set to introduce advertisements in the Updates tab, meaning the Status section of the instant messaging app.
The advertisements' debut on WhatsApp reflects Meta's strides to increase its revenues while maintaining the privacy of WhatsApp’s messaging features.
The Facebook maker assured users that personal chats will remain fully encrypted and no advertisements will appear in conversations, groups, or calls.
Status is reportedly WhatsApp’s most popular and visited feature, with millions of users sharing temporary photos, videos, voice notes, and text updates, and the upcoming ads will be inserted between these status updates, similar to the sponsored content seen in Instagram and Facebook Stories.
The reason behind WhatsApp ads is to enhance visibility for businesses and facilitate product discovery without requiring users to leave the app. These ads will allow users to engage with brands directly, resulting in better trust and conversion rates.
For everyday users, messaging on the Meta-owned platform will remain unchanged, as ads will only appear in the Updates tab. Meta is also mulling over advertising options for Channels in the future.
It must be noted that WhatsApp has mostly remained ad-free for over a decade, even after reaching a user base exceeding two billion.
With ads rolling out, Meta will closely monitor user feedback as it's heavily investing in its business ecosystem.
