WhatsApp has long hinted at the introduction of in-app advertisements, and today marks the official launch. Ads within WhatsApp are now a reality, so here’s what you can expect, including the implications for your privacy.
Two new types of ads are debuting in WhatsApp today
Meta announced on the official WhatsApp blog that advertisements are now being rolled out to all users.
These ads will appear as part of the Updates tab in the app.
This means they won’t show up in your private chats—for now.
Instead, ads will be integrated into the Stories-like ‘Status’ feature, along with the Channels list.
Here’s a visual from Meta illustrating how this will look:
In essence, if you’ve experienced ads in Instagram Stories, the format will feel familiar within WhatsApp’s Status feature.
Sponsored channels will also be included in the Channels list.
WhatsApp claims it has developed the ad system “in the most private way possible.” That’s a significant assertion.
However, upon closer examination, there are various pieces of personal information that WhatsApp will utilize to tailor ads to you.
According to their blog post, in-app advertising will be based on:
- “your country or city”
- “language”
- “the Channels you’re following”
- “how you interact with the ads you see”
Moreover, if you’ve linked WhatsApp to Accounts Center, your advertisement preferences from other Meta platforms will also influence the ads presented in WhatsApp.
DMN’s Perspective
At this point, these two types of ads are the only ones launching in WhatsApp. However, now that ads are officially introduced in the messaging app, I’m very interested to see how they will evolve moving forward.
The timing of iOS 26 unveiling features reminiscent of WhatsApp in Apple’s Messages app is certainly an amusing coincidence.
What are your thoughts on WhatsApp introducing ads? Share your opinions in the comments.
