End-to-end encryption is still guaranteed, and Meta also said that if users only use the app to call or message their contacts, there will be “no change to [the] experience at all,” though for many, this promise simply isn’t enough.

Meta is making a major shift in how it monetises WhatsApp, its massively popular messaging platform, by introducing ads and subscription features in the coming months. The change, announced on June 16 via a press release and further explained in a briefing with reporters, marks the first time WhatsApp will host paid promotions.

WhatsApp rolls out ads in Updates section as Meta monetizes the messaging app. Discover how this changes your private messaging experience forever.

WhatsApp is the instant messaging app we all know and love. In the ever-changing digital landscape - like Trump Mobile launched by the US president just this week - WhatsApp has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

WhatsApp, long considered a sanctuary from ads, is now showing promotions in its Updates tab. Meta’s announcement brings status ads, channel promotions and paid subscriptions to the app. Private chats remain untouched,