The classic chain phrase, the one about "WhatsApp is going to be a paid service"It's closer than ever to becoming a reality, although not exactly as had been repeated for years. The app will remain free for chatting, but everything indicates that A paid version will be available for those who don't want to see ads. in certain sections of the app.
Meta has already started to make moves: the company is finalizing an optional monthly subscription model which will allow the use of WhatsApp Status and Channels without advertising, a measure that will especially affect users from Europe and the United Kingdomwhere privacy laws require offering clear alternatives to advertising tracking.
From ad-free haven to platform with integrated advertising
For years WhatsApp has been a rare oasis without advertising in an internet increasingly filled with banners, videos, and sponsored content. Meta once paid close to 19.000 million to acquire the messaging app, but monetizing it has always been a headache: more than 2.000 billion active users and yet, relatively modest direct revenues compared to Facebook or Instagram.
In its early days, the platform was paid: first as app for around 0,79 euros in the App Store and, later, with a small annual fee which cost around €0,89 to continue using the service. That model was abandoned after the acquisition by Facebook (now Meta), and since then personal use of WhatsApp has been completely free .
That "everything free" started to change when Meta confirmed that would introduce ads on WhatsApp, following in the footsteps of its other platforms; more details about the ads on WhatsApp have been appearing.
Meanwhile, the tests with ads have been expanding to some markets like the United Stateswhere some users already see advertising in the Updates or What's New tab. In Spain and much of Europe, this experience is not yet widespread, but the technical infrastructure is in place.
Where the ads will appear and which parts are exempt
Meta's plan involves concentrating advertising on specific areas of WhatsAppwithout touching the core of the service for the time being. According to the tests carried out and the information that appeared in the beta, The announcements will focus on the States and the Channels, grouped within the News or Updates tab.
In the StatesThe ads will appear integrated in a similar way to what already happens with Instagram or Facebook Stories: promotional videos or clips shown between posts from the contacts we follow. The idea is that they become part of the viewing flow, mixed in with personal statuses.
In the case of OutdatedMeta plans to show channels clearly marked as “Advertising”These sponsored channels will help brands, creators, or media outlets gain visibility and attract more followers, similar to the page or profile recommendations already seen on other social networks.
The company has emphasized a key point in an attempt to calm tempers: Private chats and groups will not display adsMessage content will not be used for personalized advertising. End-to-end encryption remains in place, and discussions about security and privacy In messaging apps, it remains key, and ad targeting will be based on More basic information such as language, approximate location, or activity can be found within the What's New tab..
In other words, the change mainly affects the more "social" part of WhatsApp (Statuses and Channels), while Messages, calls, and video calls remain free and ad-freeEven so, for many users, simply starting to see ads within the app will be quite a drastic change.
The discovery in the beta: a subscription to remove advertising
The missing piece in this puzzle is the paid subscription without adsSpecialized media outlets such as Android Authority and WABetaInfo have analyzed the code of the beta version 2.26.3.9 of WhatsApp for Android and they have found very clear references to a payment model to remove advertising from States and Channels.
Within that beta version, internal text strings appear that They explicitly mention an “ad-free subscription on States and Channels”They've even managed to force the app to display warning messages related to managing that subscription, indicating that the feature isn't just a theoretical idea, but something that is actually implemented. It is already being tested internally.
One of those messages, displayed within the application itself, refers to the option of “Cancel in the Play Store” and explains to the user that, after having chosen at the time to subscribe to use Status and Channels without advertising, certain changes (such as the age associated with the account) may make the subscription no longer necessary and it must be cancelled.
The notice also indicates that The cancellation may take up to 15 minutes to be reflected. in the user's ad preferences. This type of text fits with the usual functioning of the Subscriptions managed from official stores such as Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Furthermore, some text chains mention that if a WhatsApp account is deleted from Meta Account CenterThe price of the ad-free subscription may change, and you may need to review and accept the new cost or revert to using free Status and Channels, but with ads. This detail suggests... Possible price differences depending on account settings.
Europe and the United Kingdom at the heart of the strategy
One of the keys to this movement lies in the map: The ad-free subscription plan is specifically targeted at users in Europe and the UKWABetaInfo and other media outlets suggest that this geographical limitation is not accidental, but a direct response to the European regulatory requirements in matters of privacy and personalized advertising.
Meta has already had to adapt in the past with Facebook and InstagramOffering a paid subscription model for ad-free browsing in the European Union, as an alternative to collecting data for advertising purposes, the move with WhatsApp fits into this same strategy. Offer a payment method to avoid ad tracking. in certain sections.
In this context, the company informed the authorities that WhatsApp will not launch ads for European users until 2026precisely to gain time and adjust its operations to the regulations. The new subscription plan would be the way to avoid multimillion-dollar fines and fulfill the obligation to give the user a real choice between advertising and payment.
The user is expected to be able to manage this subscription from the tab itself. Updates or New Featureswhere the option to activate the ad-free plan will appear. Once subscribed, the app will display a notification explaining that The cancellation must be done through the app store. corresponding and remembering the time frame until the change in ad display is noticeable.
Although the global rollout is not yet confirmed, everything points to it Europe and the United Kingdom will be the first markets where this hybrid model is activated: free WhatsApp with ads or paid WhatsApp without ads in certain sections.
Estimated price and management of the paid version of WhatsApp
Meta hasn't officially announced how much the ad-free WhatsApp subscription will cost, but leaks suggest that the The starting price will be around 4 euros per monthSome internal documents mention a fee of $4 per month, and various Spanish-language media outlets put that figure at around €4 for Europe.
It is likely that the Final amount varies by country and that there may be differences depending on whether the account is linked to the Meta Account Center or not, something that already happens with other subscriptions from the company. For now, there is no sign of annual plans or different service levels; everything points to a single monthly plan focused on eliminating advertising.
Payments will be processed through each platform's payment system. On Android, the subscription will appear as recurring purchase on the Google Play StoreThis means you can subscribe, review, or cancel the service just like any other monthly subscription. A similar integration via the App Store is expected on iOS, although the beta version we tested focuses primarily on Android devices.
As for what it offers, the idea is clear: by paying the monthly fee, States and Channel ads disappearas well as the promoted channels. No solid references to additional benefits have been detected so far, although it is speculated that Meta may add extra features (such as AI tools or advanced new features) to make the plan more attractive.
For those who decide not to pay, the experience will remain freeYou will be able to continue using the app to chat, make calls or send voice notes without any functional limitations, but you will have to live with advertising in the What's New tab once it is fully rolled out.
Impact on users in Spain and the rest of Europe
In countries like Spain, where many users still remember the old WhatsApp annual fee as one of the great technological "dramas" of a decade ago, the arrival of a paid version linked to ads It promises to generate debate. Legally, the app will remain free, but some will feel that to enjoy the experience they had until now, they'll have to pay.
The introduction of ads in States and Channels can lead to some users change their habitsusing these sections less or ignoring new features. At the same time, other users might see the subscription as an affordable way to keep the app free of adsespecially if they are very active on Channels or consume many States daily.
From a regulatory perspective, Meta's move is also interpreted as a way of to protect themselves against fines from the European UnionBy offering the option to pay to avoid personalized advertising and limit data use, the company seeks to better fit within the framework established by the GDPR and digital marketplace regulations.
In any case, WhatsApp insists that, even with ads, Data from private conversations will not be used to target advertising.The segmentation will be based on criteria such as country, language, or behavior within the New Releases section itself, something that, even so, does not fully convince all regulators or privacy advocates.
For Meta, the calculation is simple: although only a small part of European users (for example, a 1% or 3%If the subscription were paid, the total volume of accounts would be sufficient to generate large recurring revenues each month, while the rest of the users would see ads that also generate revenue.
A hybrid model that's here to stay
The upcoming paid version of WhatsApp fits into a trend that is becoming commonplace on major platforms: Free model with ads or paid model without adsNetflix, YouTube, Spotify, and even Facebook and Instagram already play with that balance between advertising revenue and subscriptions, and now WhatsApp joins the list.
The fact that the world's most used app finally has a clear way to monetize on a massive scale represents a important stage change for MetaThe company had been indicating for some time that it needed to make messaging more profitable, beyond Business accounts and tools for companies, and everything points to 2026 being the year in which that transformation will really be noticeable in Europe.
For users, the scenario will be relatively easy to understand: Continue chatting for free with ads in certain sections Or pay a monthly fee to keep Status and Channels ad-free. Without major campaigns or alarmist messages, WhatsApp will gradually evolve into a version where the "usual" experience more closely resembles what the paid subscription offers.
Ultimately, the arrival of ads and a paid version on WhatsApp doesn't change the core of the service, but it does It changes the way in which the real cost of using it is balanced.Those who do not want to spend money will accept seeing advertising in specific areas of the app, and those who prefer to avoid it will have an official way to do so in exchange for a monthly amount that Meta has yet to finalize.