Key features include Channel Subscriptions, allowing users to pay monthly for exclusive content, and promoted channels, which help creators gain visibility in the directory.
WhatsApp has unveiled new monetization features aimed at creators and businesses, integrating paid tools into its “Updates” tab, which houses Status and Channels. The update marks Meta’s first direct advertising effort on the platform and a shift toward new revenue streams.
Key features include Channel Subscriptions, allowing users to pay monthly for exclusive content, and promoted channels, which help creators gain visibility in the directory. Ads will now appear within Status updates, similar to Stories ads on Instagram and Facebook.
“These changes will not affect private messaging,” WhatsApp clarified, emphasizing that personal chats remain encrypted.
To address privacy concerns, WhatsApp said ad targeting will use minimal signals such as location and language, with expanded targeting available only to users who link Meta accounts.
“Like everything we do on WhatsApp, we built these features to be as private as possible,” the company added, reassuring users that phone numbers and private messages won’t be shared with advertisers.