Meta has announced the launch of a suite of new monetisation features on WhatsApp, designed to help creators, businesses, and organisations grow their reach and generate revenue through the app’s Updates tab.
In a statement released on Monday, the tech giant unveiled three key additions: Channel Subscriptions, Promoted Channels, and Adverts in Status. These updates mark a significant step in WhatsApp’s ongoing efforts to support business activity without compromising the private messaging experience the platform is known for.
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“We’ve been exploring ways to build a business ecosystem on WhatsApp that respects the integrity of personal chats. We believe the Updates tab is the right space to make this happen,” Meta said.
With Channel Subscriptions, users can now pay a monthly fee to receive exclusive content from their favourite creators, news platforms, and sports teams. This feature opens up a new revenue stream for content providers directly within WhatsApp.
Promoted Channels will give creators and businesses the ability to boost visibility by paying for recommendations to users based on their interests. It’s a visibility tool aimed at helping new and existing channels grow their audience on the platform.
Meanwhile, Adverts in Status introduces targeted ads within the WhatsApp Status feature, mirroring the format of Instagram Stories. This gives businesses an opportunity to showcase products and services while allowing users to engage directly with ads.
Meta emphasised that all personal chats, calls, and group messages will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, and the new features are built with privacy as a core principle.
“To show you relevant ads in Status or Channels, we’ll use limited information such as your location, language preferences, the channels you follow, and your engagement with ads,” the company explained.
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“For users who have connected WhatsApp to Meta’s Accounts Centre, we may also incorporate ad preferences and activity across other Meta platforms. However, we will never sell or share your phone number with advertisers.”
The monetisation tools will be rolled out in phases over the coming months. Channel administrators and businesses interested in leveraging these new features can find more information through official WhatsApp Business resources.
