WhatsApp announces new feature with monthly fees: What it means for your chats?

WhatsApp is set to roll out a major update that could change how users interact with the platform. The popular messaging app, owned by Meta, has announced plans to introduce a new feature that will require users to pay fees, marking a shift from its traditionally free model. In addition to the paid service, Meta is also gearing up to display ads in status updates. 

Also Read: FedEx, USPS, county offices and more: What’s open and closed on Juneteenth 2025 in Michigan

What is the new WhatsApp feature that requires monthly fees?

The major changes are focused on WhatsApp Channels and Status. For the first time, Channel owners will have the option to charge a monthly subscription fee, giving followers access to exclusive updates. Additionally, a new Promoted Channels feature will allow people to pay to increase their channel’s visibility. 

Despite these monetization moves, WhatsApp has reassured its 1.5 billion users that these updates will not affect the main chat interface, which will remain free and unchanged, as reported by The US Sun. 

Elsewhere, the ads introduced by Meta will be based on the “limited info” about users that is provided to the company. This includes the users’ city, country, age, language, the Channels that users follow, and how one interacts with the Channel ads or ad preferences if one has linked WhatsApp through Meta’s Accounts Center. 

Also Read: Social Security alert: Several benefits could be suspended if new rules aren’t met

Will the new WhatsApp feature affect chats?

The company shared that the features will be rolled out gradually across the globe. WhatsApp revealed, “Like everything we do at WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most private way possible. Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one (not even us) can see or hear them.”

Whatsapp has also assured the fans that the new features will not get in the way of the chats and comes after it received major backlash for AI taking too much space on the main page. The company shared, “These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats. This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all.”