For the first time since its launch in 2009, WhatsApp is starting to put ads in its app. They won’t appear in your private chats or group chats. Instead, they’ll quietly live in the “Updates” tab — where users share Status updates and subscribe to Channels for specific interests and topics. Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, says that this is part of a plan to keep the ads from “interfering” with private messages. The company is rolling out ads slowly, giving more and more users access to them over time.

More than 1.5 billion people use the Updates tab every day, Meta says. That’s a lot of potential users for advertisers. But if you only use WhatsApp for chat, you may never see an ad. For those who regularly use the Updates section, it may look a little different.

WhatsApp will display three types of ads. First, there are ads that will appear in the Status section. When users are scrolling through their friends’ photo, video, or text updates that disappear after 24 hours, they might also come across ads from companies. They look and feel like normal Statuses — but they’re from brands. Users can click through to talk to the business directly.

Second, WhatsApp is adding Promoted Channels. This will let channel admins pay for more prominence so their content can reach more users. For businesses and creators, it’s a way to grow an audience within WhatsApp — something that’s never really been possible before.

Third, Meta is experimenting with a subscription model for Channels. Users will pay a monthly fee to follow a business’ content exclusively. For example, users may pay to follow a cooking Channel that shares subscriber-only recipes and updates. It’s a new revenue stream for WhatsApp and a monetization option for brands and creators.

But what about privacy? That’s the question users will be asking. After all, WhatsApp built its brand on privacy and security. Meta says it’s taking a “careful” approach. Ads will be targeted based on “broad” information like your country code, device language, age range, and city — not precise location or private data. Additionally, WhatsApp will use engagement behavior on Channels and Status updates to influence the ads that show up. For example, what types of content users follow, how they interact with posts, and which ads they click on.

Importantly, all private messages will remain end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp says it won’t read your messages or use them to serve ads. And for those using other Meta products like Instagram or Facebook, there’s an optional feature called Accounts Center. If you link WhatsApp to this, Meta can use cross-platform data to personalize your ad experience. This is turned off by default and can be turned off at any time.

WhatsApp will also offer transparency tools for users to see and control their ad experience. You’ll be able to see why a specific ad showed up, block specific advertisers, or report any ad that you think is inappropriate. The company is making sure the experience is as user-friendly — and as optional — as possible.

But all of this is a byproduct of Meta’s larger vision. WhatsApp has over 2 billion users worldwide. But the app hasn’t done much to contribute to Meta’s vast advertising empire. Most of WhatsApp’s current revenue comes from its Business Platform — a paid service that lets businesses communicate with users — and “click-to-WhatsApp” ads on Facebook and Instagram. That’s changing. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said that WhatsApp’s Business Platform is a growing revenue stream. Now, by putting ads directly in WhatsApp, Meta wants to do more.

“Advertising is not new to WhatsApp, but I think that this feels like the next natural evolution,” WhatsApp’s VP of Product Alice Newton Rex told us. “Businesses are looking for more ways to reach users directly inside the app — and this new ad system is the answer.”

Other social platforms like Reddit and Discord are also moving deeper into advertising models. It’s a sign of the times. Social platforms — even ones built on promises of privacy-first — are finding ways to show ads without alienating their audiences.

Meta paid $16 billion for WhatsApp back in 2014. For years, the app was untouched by Meta’s ad machine. But as the ad business becomes increasingly important — about 98 percent of Meta’s revenue comes from ads — WhatsApp was always going to be next. This is just the start of a new chapter for the platform.

Users will probably never notice the change — especially if they don’t use the Updates tab. But for WhatsApp and Meta, it’s a big deal. One that reflects the pressure of financial realities and the demand for growth from investors.

Ads on WhatsApp are no longer a fantasy. They’re real, and they’re here. The experience is mostly untouched for now. But with Meta at the wheel, this could just be the beginning of WhatsApp’s transformation into a full-scale commercial platform.