4 days ago
WhatsApp starts rolling out status ads and promoted channels, but only for select users
Meta is gearing up to monetise WhatsApp further, as its latest Android beta update introduces Status Ads and Promoted Channels. These two long-anticipated features are aimed at helping businesses and creators expand their reach on the world's most-used messaging app. These tools are now rolling out in WhatsApp beta version 2.25.21.11, and are currently available to select Android beta testers, according to are Status Ads?Think of them as the WhatsApp equivalent of Instagram Stories ads. The Status Ads feature will allow business accounts to display sponsored content in users' Status feeds. These ads will appear in between the usual updates from friends and family but will be marked as sponsored, so users can distinguish between personal posts and promotional more, users will retain control over what they see—there's an option to block advertisers, preventing their ads from popping up again in the Channels
Next up is Promoted Channels, designed to help public channels gain more visibility within WhatsApp's directory. Much like Status Ads, promoted channels will carry a "sponsored" label to differentiate them from organic suggestions. When a business or creator pays to promote their channel, it gets bumped up in the visibility rankings, making it easier for potential followers to discover and engage with their could be a game-changer for brands, creators, and organisations looking to grow their communities more quickly than they could through organic privacy remains intactDespite concerns around advertising on private messaging platforms, WhatsApp insists that user privacy remains unaffected. Ads won't leak into your private chats, and Meta says the promotional features are confined strictly to public-facing areas like Status and in a previous beta version (2.25.19.15), WhatsApp had already begun testing a feature allowing users to download detailed ad activity reports. These reports include information about which ads were shown, who the advertisers were, and on what dates users saw them, bringing a level of transparency that's uncommon in traditional ad these tools, WhatsApp is finally stepping more confidently into the ad-driven creator economy, long dominated by platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. For everyday users, the updates might bring a touch of annoyance, but for small businesses and creators, this could be a much-needed boost.- Ends
