WhatsApp with ads: These are the sections where you'll find advertising on the Meta platform.

WhatsApp has confirmed a change that will mark a turning point in the app's history : advertising is officially coming to the platform . After years of rejecting any monetization attempts that would interfere with the user experience, Meta has found a formula that —at least for now—won't affect personal chats .

The key lies in the News tab , the space where Statuses and Channels coexist , which WhatsApp has been developing for two years to be "the place where you can discover new things" within the platform. Currently, 1.5 billion people use it every day , and this is where we'll start to see the new advertising features: ads, subscriptions, and promoted channels.

According to the company, the goal is to help administrators, creators, organizations, and businesses grow within WhatsApp without invading users' most intimate space: their private conversations. So, for now, if you only use the app for chatting, nothing will change.

But if you scroll through the What's New tab, the environment starts to look more like Instagram or Facebook : you'll see channels that are featured because they've paid for visibility, companies that promote themselves in their statuses, and creators that offer exclusive content through monthly subscriptions.

All of this, according to Meta, is focused on privacy, as messages will remain end-to-end encrypted, your number won't be used for advertising, and ads will be based solely on general data such as country, language, or activity within the News tab.

This is WhatsApp's roadmap to leaving behind its era of no direct revenue . Of course: while chats remain sacred, the platform is going to change forever.

Where will you see ads on WhatsApp?

Meta has already detailed the three specific spaces where advertising and new forms of monetization will be available, all within the What's New tab:

WhatsApp will begin showing visual ads in Statuses (the equivalent of Stories on other social media platforms). These will be advertising spaces between your contacts' posts. For now, they won't include external links, although they will allow you to start conversations with companies directly from the app .

When you browse the channel directory, some channels will appear highlighted. These are promoted channels, a feature that allows channel administrators to pay to gain visibility. This will be the first time WhatsApp will feature sponsored content in its discovery system.

Some channels may offer exclusive content in exchange for a monthly subscription. This feature is designed for creators, media outlets, or companies looking to offer a little something extra to their most loyal followers.

Does it affect your privacy?

WhatsApp insists that these new features have been designed with privacy as a priority . Messages, calls, and personal statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, and Meta won't be able to access them or use them to show you ads.

Ads will be personalized using limited data such as your country, language, channels you follow, and how you interact within the News tab. If you have WhatsApp linked to Meta Account Center (for example, Facebook or Instagram), your advertising preferences on those platforms will also be taken into account .

And a key point: Meta will not sell or share your phone number with advertisers.

When will the ads start showing?

The rollout will be gradual . WhatsApp has already activated these features for a small number of users and businesses, and will expand globally in the coming months.

If you're a regular user of statuses or channels, you'll likely start seeing changes soon.

Why is WhatsApp introducing ads now?

Since Meta bought WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, the company has searched unsuccessfully for a profitable monetization formula . Compared to Instagram or Facebook—where ads are part of their DNA—WhatsApp had remained almost untouched. But that has changed.

Meta has found the balance between monetization and privacy in the News tab . For now, chats remain ad-free, but the movement is clear: WhatsApp is no longer just a messaging app .