WhatsApp to Start Showing Ads in App for the First Time

WhatsApp is officially getting ads. Meta announced on Monday that its messaging platform — long famous for its ad-free, private interface — will begin displaying advertisements within the “Updates” tab, marking a major shift for the service used by over two billion people worldwide.

The ads won’t show up in private messages or group chats, and WhatsApp says it will still protect end-to-end encryption. However, the app will collect limited user data like location and device language for ad targeting, and users can opt in to broader data sharing with Instagram and Facebook for more personalized ads.

The rollout also includes a new subscription model for creators and expanded promotion tools for channels — all part of Meta’s push to monetize WhatsApp more aggressively. As Meta pours billions into AI and hardware bets, this move opens the door to a potentially massive new revenue stream — though it may test how far users will tolerate commercialization on a platform built on privacy.