WhatsApp, for the first time since its 2009 launch, will now display ads. These ads will appear gradually within the Updates tab, featuring status updates from advertisers, promoted channels, and paid subscriptions for exclusive content. Meta claims the ads won't interrupt personal chats, leveraging user data like location and language to target advertisements. The ads are designed to help businesses and channel admins reach a wider audience, utilizing the 1.5 billion daily Updates tab users.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.