What users should know nowWhatsApp rolls out advertising

WhatsApp is introducing worldwide advertising in the so-called Updates tab. This is the area in which status messages and channels are displayed. The roll-out will be gradual. This means that the new function will not be visible to all users at the same time. An exact schedule for individual countries or accounts has not yet been published.

WhatsApp rolls out advertising

With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is one of the largest communication platforms. The messenger also plays a central role in the everyday lives of many people in Germany, including many children and young people. According to a recent KIM study, children in the six to 13 age group named WhatsApp as their most important app.

What exactly is changing?

In future, sponsored content will appear in the updates tab. This includes status ads and promoted channels. According to WhatsApp (as of March 2026), personal chats, calls and private messages will remain end-to-end encrypted and ad-free.

The introduction of advertising marks a fundamental change for the messenger service, which has long managed without traditional ads. WhatsApp has been part of Meta since 2014 and is now more closely integrated into the Group's advertising strategy.

What data is used?

According to WhatsApp, Meta technologies are used to display advertising. According to META, personal messages, calls, contacts or status content will not be used to decide who sees which ad.

For people who have added their WhatsApp account to an account overview and can prove that they are at least 18 years old, additional information can be taken into account. This includes, among other things

  • usage behavior in the status and channels area
  • Advertising preferences from other meta services

This information is taken from the official information from WhatsApp Business on the introduction of WhatsApp Ads.

Track and control advertising

WhatsApp provides various functions to give users more transparency:

  • Why am I seeing this ad?: If you click on it, you can see which factors led to the ad being displayed. For example, an ad can be shown to people in the country that matches the country code of their phone number.
  • Manage advertising preferences: In the Status and Channels section, you can see which advertisers have placed ads. Preferences can be adjusted there.
  • Hide or report ads: Individual ads can be hidden or reported.

You can find more information about the popular messenger service and possible alternatives in our WhatsApp topic area.