WhatsApp is bringing ads for the first time since it launched in 2009. No, not the kind of ads that invade your private chats and groups. The kind of ads that show up on the platform’s new “Updates” tab, which you may never see.

When Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, announced the change, they promised that your messages and groups wouldn’t be cluttered with ads. Instead, the ads will only appear in the “Updates” tab, where users can post Status updates or follow channels related to their interests. In other words, ads won’t invade your main chat screen.

And there’s no need to worry — your friends won’t suddenly start getting flooded with ads.

More than 1.5 billion people view the Updates tab every day, said Meta. So this is an obvious move for Meta to generate more revenue from WhatsApp.

While there’s some talk about how businesses can start getting access to the status of their customers to reach them on WhatsApp, the reality is most users will probably never even see an ad.

WhatsApp ads will show up in three places: the status updates tab, where users post photos, videos, or messages that disappear after 24 hours; in promoted channels, where businesses and brands can buy visibility; and through subscriptions, where businesses can charge for premium content.

When WhatsApp started, it was adamant that it would never show ads, a commitment that played a key role in winning over users who were fed up with ads on other platforms.

“We’re proud that WhatsApp has been a successful and organic experience for over a decade without ever displaying ads,” Meta’s VP of Product Alice Newton Rex told TechCrunch. “Our approach to showing these new ads is respectful of the user experience, allowing them to easily ignore these updates, and providing transparency on the types of content they may see.”

Still, for the first time ever, it’s official — WhatsApp is starting to open its doors to businesses.

Now, with more than 500 million daily active users, Meta wants to cash in on WhatsApp’s massive growth. That means moving beyond paid products for business, like the Business Platform, to ads.

In other words, it’s time for businesses to embrace WhatsApp.

“People spend more time on WhatsApp than they do anywhere else on the internet,” Newton Rex said. “This is an opportunity to provide more ways for businesses to engage and connect with people.”

The first time users might see an ad on WhatsApp

As previously mentioned, ads will appear in the status updates tab, where users can create and share updates that disappear after 24 hours.

WhatsApp has always been used to communicate with friends and family, and that’s not going to change. Newton Rex described the change as a way for users to engage with what’s important to them, while allowing them to opt out.

“This is another way to share with friends and family, with friends of friends, with people in the communities that are important to them,” she said.

Newton Rex shared an example: if you’re a Star Wars fan and you come across a Star Wars channel on WhatsApp, you can now choose to follow that channel. You’ll get updates and content about Star Wars directly from the channel, and if you don’t want to see updates, you can unfollow that channel.

Similarly, a food company can create a channel where people can follow and engage with their business directly on WhatsApp.

“It’s a very small, respectful layer of ads in the user experience,” Newton Rex said. “People can engage with that and learn more about it.”

With the change, it’s possible that people could start seeing more channels they can follow. If someone can post updates to your status, why can’t they advertise there?

“I think there’s always a way to potentially add new ways to communicate,” Newton Rex said. “The hope is that by providing more people the ability to create their own experience on WhatsApp and connect with others, we’ll provide people the opportunity to create that personal space on WhatsApp.”

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already signaled the importance of monetizing WhatsApp.

Last year, Zuckerberg shared on a recent investor call that the Business Platform is doing well and has hit its goal, but “there’s more we can do.” He noted that Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger all make money from ads, and WhatsApp could too.

And that’s exactly what Meta is now doing.

While WhatsApp is entering a new era, the entire industry is making moves to monetize.

WhatsApp isn’t alone in exploring ways to integrate ads.

Discord recently introduced ads in 2024, while Reddit recently posted its first-ever profit, also thanks to ads. Social platforms are moving in this direction as the digital ad market continues to shift.

Meanwhile, users can still trust that their chats will remain private and that their messaging experience won’t change much.

If you’re only using WhatsApp to message friends and family, you likely won’t see ads. The monetization will happen at a different layer, and will be separate from the existing messages you send.

But in the end, it’s inevitable that WhatsApp will monetize more. With more than 98% of Meta’s revenue coming from advertising, it’s hard to imagine Meta doing otherwise.

“We are looking to really understand the types of things that are most valuable for people to see and understand, and then make the trade-offs in terms of ads that respect that,” Newton Rex said.

Ads on WhatsApp, one of the last ad-free platforms, are here to stay.

Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it plans to keep updating and refining its ads and monetization strategy for WhatsApp.