WhatsApp to Show Ads, Offer Paid Subscriptions for First Time

Meta Platforms Inc. will begin showing ads inside of its WhatsApp messaging service, opening a new potential revenue stream while the company invests heavily in artificial intelligence and other long-term projects.

The ads will appear in WhatsApp’s “Updates” tab, a section of the app that’s separate from a user’s inbox and private conversations. The tab gets 1.5 billion visitors per day, Meta said Monday. That tab is home to Status, WhatsApp’s version of disappearing Stories, which will now carry ads.

Advertisers can also pay to promote their WhatsApp Channel and give it prominent placement within the Updates tab. Channels allow ...