WhatsApp was rumoured to introduce ads in the chat app to boost Meta revenue. However, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart has denied Financial Times claims regarding the same. Cathcart posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “This @FT story is false. We aren't doing this.” The report revealed that Meta is discussing is they should start showing ads in the list of conversations with contacts on the WhatsApp chat screen.
However, the report emphasised that no final decision was made. It was further added that the company was also considering if they should start charging a subscription fee if they want to use the app ad-free.
In a statement, WhatsApp told FT "We can't account for every conversation someone had in our company but we are not testing this, working on it, and it's not our plan at all."
WhatsApp Channels in India
Meanwhile, WhatsApp has released Channels features for users in India. WhatsApp Channels, just like Instagram, is a one-way broadcasting tool for celebrities and organisations, to keep their followers updated. Admins can send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls on these channels. The phone number of the followers or admins will not be visible to anyone in the channel unless they share it separately.
Participants of a channel will not be able to respond, but they can easily react to all the texts, videos or GIFs shared by the admin.
Notably, WhatsApp Channels are visible in the Updates tab in the app. It is currently rolling out for both Android and iOS users. If you don’t see the Updates tab even after updating the app, you will need to wait out as the feature is currently being rolled out in a phased manner.
Recently, several celebrities and organisations have joined WhatsApp channels including India’s cricket board BCCI, Akshay Kumar, Diljit Dosanjh, Katrina Kaif, Vijay Deverakonda and more.
Users who want to see the Channels can do so via the Enhanced Directory. They will find channels to follow that are automatically filtered based on their country. They can also view channels that are new, most active, and popular based on the number of followers.
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