Recent reports suggest that WhatsApp might be exploring the idea of showing ads in certain app pages like channels or status.
WhatsApp seems to be going back and forth on whether or not it wants to show users ads in the app, with Will Cathcart – WhatsApp head – recently noting that the company could start showing ads to users (via TechCrunch). According to him, ads wouldn’t appear in your inbox, where you likely spend the most time in-app. Instead, they’d probably be somewhere else, away from immediate view.
During that interview with Brazilian media, Will suggested it would be a mistake to showcase ads immediately when opening the app, which is probably true. An app-filled inbox is a pretty big turn-off, especially when there are other messaging apps out there that fill the same need.
The types of ads that could be shown in WhatsApp were also not specified. Reference was made to channels wanting to promote themselves across the app or even charging people to subscribe and promote via that following.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because WhatsApp explored this idea back in 2020. At the time, the same idea of status ads came up in closed-door meetings, and some photos of what that could look like even appeared online. During that summit, a comparison was made to how Facebook and Instagram handle in-app ads, and WhatsApp’s method was no more intrusive. Full-page ads would simply appear once you open someone’s status post.
If WhatsApp finally implements advertisements in-app, status ads are the best way to do it. While no ads are ideal, status ads are just far enough out of reach to not affect the majority of users. Will Cathcart made no statements on when – or if – this will be implemented.
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