Get Ready: WhatsApp Is Getting Ads, Paid Channel Subscriptions

Unlike other Meta apps, the company has traditionally kept WhatsApp ad-free. That's set to change.

Meta will soon include ads within its Status feature, which is similar to Instagram Stories. In the coming months, ads will appear between people you follow. Meta hasn't shared how often ads will appear, but if it's anything like Instagram, it'll likely be after every fourth or fifth story you view.

Meta won't use your personal data to target these ads. That means it can't use the topics in your messages, or the people you message, to figure out what ads to show you. Instead, Meta will use data such as your location, language, your interactions with Channels, or the ads you've been interested in before.

The company is also introducing a new way for business, celebrities, and influencers to monetize their own WhatsApp Channels. Soon,channel owners will be able to charge for exclusive access to certain content- similar to a Patreon account