By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Meta has unveiled a set of new monetisation tools on WhatsApp, aimed at helping creators, businesses and organisations expand their reach and generate revenue via the app’s updates tab.
In a statement released on Monday, the tech giant announced the introduction of three key features: Channel Subscriptions, Promoted Channels, and Adverts in Status.
These updates are part of WhatsApp’s broader push to support commercial activity without interfering with users’ private messaging experience.
“We’ve been talking for years about how to build a business on WhatsApp in a way that doesn’t interrupt personal chats. We believe the updates tab is the right place to introduce that,” Meta stated.
With Channel Subscriptions, users will now be able to pay a monthly fee for exclusive updates from their favourite channels, including news outlets, content creators and sports teams.
Promoted Channels will allow WhatsApp to recommend channels based on user interests, providing creators and businesses with a paid tool to enhance visibility and grow their audience on the platform.
Meanwhile, adverts in status will enable businesses to place targeted promotions within the status feature similar to adverts in Instagram Stories, allowing users to discover products or services and interact directly with advertisers.
Meta reiterated that the new features have been designed with privacy in mind, maintaining end-to-end encryption for all personal messages, calls and group chats.
“To show adverts in status or channels you might care about, we’ll use limited information such as your country or city, language, the channels you follow, and how you engage with the ads you see.
“For people who have chosen to link WhatsApp to Accounts Centre, we’ll also use their advert preferences and data from across Meta accounts. However, we will never sell or share your phone number with advertisers,” it said.
Meta said the features would be rolled out gradually over the coming months. Channel administrators and businesses interested in adopting the tools can already access more information through official WhatsApp Business resources.