WhatsApp has reportedly started showing advertisements to more users. The ads are currently appearing in the Updates tab, specifically within Status and Channels and not in the individual chats. Many users have reported spotting promotional content and WhatsApp has also started displaying in-app alerts informing people that ads will now be visible in these sections.
Previously, the social media giant has confirmed the plans to bring ads in the WhatsApp Status. As per the company, the promotions are designed to help users discover businesses and initiate conversations about products or services directly on WhatsApp. Users will also be able to view an advertiser’s profile, hide or report an ad, or open additional information using the menu options.
WhatsApp popup, as seen by many users, states that the individual messages, calls and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted and will not be used to determine the ads people see. Instead, ad targeting will rely on signals such as user’s region, device language, Channels followed, and interactions within Channels or Status.
It seems that the rollout is happening in a phased manner. However, the increasing reports on X and other platforms suggest that the feature is expanding quite faster. For those who want to manage the ad preference, they can go to Settings – Accounts Centre – Account settings – Ad preferences.
The individual ads can also be hidden: Status ads via the three-dot menu, and Channel ads by tapping the “Sponsored” label. While the ads will open yet another revenue stream for the company, it still remains to be seen how the massive user base reacts to it.
For the unversed, WhatsApp has over 3 billion monthly active users all over the world with daily active users ranging between 2.3 to 2.6 billion, as per the latest reports, making it one of the biggest messaging platforms all over the world.