WhatsApp is introducing its first ads, which the app, used by more than 2 billion people, has never shown since its 2009 launch. Starting today, ads will appear in the app’s Updates section. But before you panic about this major shift, know that the ads are starting to roll out in a very limited capacity.

To explain the ads, Meta (the parent company of WhatsApp) said that they will only be shown in the app’s Updates section. This is where people can post a temporary status update and follow Channels related to their interests. In a blog post, Meta assured users that the ads won’t appear in private chats or group conversations. Instead, the ads will only be shown in the Updates tab, which users have chosen to use. Meta also said that messages will not be “based on the content of the messages you send or receive,” meaning that your private conversations are safe.

Meta’s new paid media buys come as the company looks to capitalize on the billion people who use WhatsApp’s Updates tab daily. Although only a small fraction of people use WhatsApp’s status updates, or update their status on a regular basis, the business of advertising on the app will likely be appealing to marketers. For users that don’t regularly check WhatsApp’s Updates tab or follow channels, the ads may go unnoticed. But for those that do, these paid status updates will start to feel more normal as part of their experience.

Meta is starting to test three different types of ads. First, within the Status section, where people can share photos, videos, or voice notes that disappear after 24 hours, WhatsApp users will now see similar content from businesses. These paid Status updates will be displayed alongside those of friends, and users will be able to respond directly to the businesses through messaging.

Second, the company is launching a new way for businesses and organizations to increase their visibility in the app with Paid Channels. Paid Channels are aimed at businesses and organizations who are interested in growing their audience without leaving the app. For creators and businesses looking to start their own paid channels, a new subscription model is being launched. This new way for businesses to make money will allow them to offer users exclusive content in exchange for a monthly fee. For example, a Channel focused on cooking can ask users to subscribe to their Channel for a monthly fee, and they’ll get recipes, exclusive recipes, or even access to updates before anyone else. Meta said this option gives creators and businesses the ability to strengthen relationships with their followers while also creating another source of revenue for Meta and creators.

Meta says it will balance monetization with user privacy, noting that personal chats will remain end-to-end encrypted. When it comes to how the ads will be targeted, WhatsApp is also making it clear that advertisers won’t be reading your chats to show you an ad. Instead, WhatsApp says that paid messages will be served to users based on “general” data including age, country code, language, and city-level location.

Aside from those basic facts, WhatsApp will also analyze what users are doing in the Updates tab, including which Channels they’re following and what types of content they engage with to serve relevant ads. It’s important to note that this is not based on private messages.

If a user connects their WhatsApp account to Meta’s Accounts Center, they’ll enable sharing more data with other Meta apps including Facebook and Instagram. While that data can be shared with WhatsApp, this option is turned off by default and can be toggled off at any time. When enabled, paid media buys can also draw on the ad preferences and behavioral signals that can be collected from other Meta products to show more personalized ads on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp also has options for transparency and control for users. People will be able to see why a particular ad was served to them, adjust their ad preferences, block specific advertisers, or even report inappropriate content.

The update comes as the broader tech world shifts towards ads. Meta, which has been making money off of WhatsApp for some time via its Business Platform and its Facebook or Instagram ads that can connect to WhatsApp, said that in a recent investor call that business messaging is “growing very well” but they are still exploring more ways to monetize the platform. WhatsApp’s VP of Product, Alice Newton Rex, told TechCrunch that this is a “natural evolution” and that businesses have asked for more ways to reach people within the app. The company is starting to tap that potential with the Business Platform and click-to-WhatsApp ads that are already live, so it made sense to start testing ads in the Updates tab next.

WhatsApp is joining a number of other platforms that are making advertising a core part of their business model. Discord recently started testing ads in 2024 and Reddit just reported its first-ever profit last quarter, thanks to its growing advertising model. For Meta, advertising makes up 98% of its revenue, and after buying WhatsApp for $16 billion in 2014, it’s clear that the company is ready to start making money on its biggest app.

Of course, this change will likely have little impact on the average user, especially if they only use the app for messaging. As Meta starts exploring ways to monetize WhatsApp, this change could be a first step toward something bigger.