In a monumental shift from its longstanding ad-free model, WhatsApp has announced it will soon begin displaying advertisements on its platform—marking the most significant change in its history since its launch in 2009. The decision, confirmed by WhatsApp’s parent company Meta, will see ads introduced primarily in the app’s “Status” or story-sharing section.
As reported by the BBC, Meta clarified that despite the inclusion of ads, users’ privacy will remain fully protected. The company emphasized that end-to-end encryption for personal messages and chats will not be affected, and inbox functionality will remain unchanged.
This development represents a dramatic shift for WhatsApp, which has long been popular among its 1.5 billion global users for its clean, ad-free interface. When Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014, it pledged not to disrupt that model—but has now revised its approach, citing new monetization opportunities.
The advertisements are expected to appear in a format similar to those on Instagram Stories or YouTube videos, playing between users’ shared content. Meta also revealed plans to monetize WhatsApp Channels and accounts, meaning that individual users and content creators could eventually earn revenue from ads shown on their content, much like on YouTube or Facebook.
With this new model, WhatsApp joins the ranks of other major social platforms that rely on ad revenue and content monetization to sustain their ecosystems and reward creators.
While the feature rollout date has not been officially announced, users can expect to begin seeing ads in the Status section in the near future. The change signifies Meta’s broader strategy to turn WhatsApp into a monetizable platform while maintaining its commitment to secure communications.
