Your WhatsApp Status view is about to get ads

Ads have crept into every corner of Meta’s ecosystem. Facebook, Instagram, and Reels are filled with them. For years, WhatsApp stood apart as the company’s only major platform without advertising. Now, that’s changing: ads are coming to WhatsApp, too.

Meta revealed in a new announcement that WhatsApp is testing ads in the Status row at the top of the Updates tab. This is the first time we’ve seen advertising in WhatsApp since Facebook acquired the popular messaging app in 2014. But don’t worry, Meta insists your private messages remain end-to-end encrypted and are still off limits for advertising. The new ad placements are limited to Status updates, not your personal chats.

Meta confirmed three new features: ads in Status, paid channel subscriptions, and promoted channels.  WhatsApp is clearly following a familiar playbook, because it sounds a lot like what we already see in Telegram and Instagram. Ads in Status look the same as Instagram Stories. These are full-screen visuals from brands, with the option to message them directly. You’ll still be able to tap through Status posts as usual, but not before they try to sell you something.

Channels are getting a monetization boost. Creators can now offer subscriptions, so followers pay for exclusive content. There are still no details on payment methods, but it will most likely use Meta Pay. The new Promoted Channels section will help creators get discovered by showing potential channel subscriptions of interest.

For now, the changes are confined to the Updates tab. But if you’re used to a completely ad-free experience with the world’s most popular messaging app, it may start feeling a little like the rest of Meta’s apps, and soon.