Meta has introduced major updates to WhatsApp’s Updates tab, adding three new tools designed to help creators, businesses, and organizations expand their reach and earn revenue.

In a statement on Monday, Meta explained that the Updates tab — which includes both Status and Channels — will now feature Channel Subscriptions for premium updates, Promoted Channels for better visibility, and Ads in Status to boost business exposure.

These additions represent a major shift in WhatsApp’s business approach and are its most extensive efforts to generate revenue from the platform to date.

Meta stated, “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.”

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The company noted that more than 1.5 billion people use the Updates tab every day to check friends’ Status updates or follow creators and public figures through Channels.

With such a large daily user base, Meta sees an opportunity to introduce tools that support businesses.

Detailing the features, Meta said Channel Subscriptions will allow users to subscribe to Channels — such as those from creators, news outlets, or sports teams — and receive exclusive content for a monthly fee.

Promoted Channels will enable WhatsApp to suggest Channels to users based on their interests, providing creators and businesses with a paid method to increase their reach on the platform.

With Ads in Status, businesses will be able to show targeted ads in the Status section, functioning like Instagram Stories, so users can find new services or products and message advertisers directly.

Meta underscored that these new features respect WhatsApp’s long-standing commitment to user privacy.

“Your personal messages, calls, and groups remain end-to-end encrypted, and that includes your Status updates. We’ll never sell or share your phone number with advertisers,” Meta assured.

To show relevant ads in Status and Channels, Meta said it will use minimal data such as a user’s country or city, language, followed Channels, and ad interaction behavior.

“For people who have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, we’ll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts.”

“We will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers. Your personal messages, calls, and groups you are in will not be used to determine the ads you may see,” the company said.

The new features will be introduced gradually in the coming months, and interested Channel admins or businesses can already explore details through official WhatsApp Business resources.