WhatsApp head Will Cathcart says it is considering introduction of ads: Report

The popular chat app may introduce ads in the status and channels feature, excluding the main inbox.

Whatsapp is considering introducing ads, the chat app's head Will Cathcart said to Brazilian Media in an exclusive interview. He clarified that the company has no plans to display ads in the main message inbox but they are considering showing ads in other areas like status (similar to stories) and channels.

“The reason I qualified the answer is that there could be ads in other places- channels or status. For example, channels might charge people to subscribe, they might be exclusive to paid members or the owners might want to promote the channel. But, no, we won’t put ads in your inbox,” Cathcart added.

In June 2023, WhatsApp introduced the broadcast feature called Channels with the potential for promotions in the Channels directory. However, Meta (WhatsApp's parent company) has not confirmed if they plan to introduce ads in either status or channels or both.

Meta is continuously rolling out new features. But as of now, it has not been confirmed when it will start implementing ads in Whatsapp. A spokesperson from Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that they are not currently testing status ads in any country. However, the company did not offer any further comment on the subject.

Until now, WhatsApp has primarily relied on its business messaging service and click-to-WhatsApp ads on platforms like Facebook for revenue.