Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — WhatsApp has introduced a suite of new features aimed at helping businesses grow and connect with users more effectively on the platform. The updates include tools for promoting channels, enabling subscriptions, and integrating ads, designed to enhance visibility and offer monetization opportunities.
“Many admins and businesses are using features like Channels and Status in very creative ways,” said Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s Vice President of Product Management for Business Messaging, during a media roundtable on Thursday, June 12.
“So we want to give them more tools to help them grow on WhatsApp. And we’re doing that in three key ways.”
According to CNN Indonesia, here’s the list of WhatsApp new released features:
Channel Promotion
WhatsApp is rolling out a promotion feature that allows businesses to boost the visibility and distribution of their Channels. This will also help users discover new and relevant content as they browse through the directory.
Channel Subscriptions
A subscription feature is also being introduced, allowing Channel owners to share exclusive updates with followers and monetize their content. This tool aims to turn Channels into viable business platforms by offering value-added content to paying subscribers.
Ads Integration
The third major feature is ad integration—similar to the formats seen on Facebook and Instagram. Businesses can now use Status and Channel placements to promote their offerings directly within WhatsApp. Users, in turn, will be able to discover and engage with new businesses seamlessly through the app.
“People will be able to discover businesses and easily start a WhatsApp chat to learn more about their products or services,” Nikila explained. “For businesses that rely on WhatsApp, this can be a powerful tool to attract new customers.”
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Importantly, these new tools will appear exclusively in the “Updates” tab, ensuring that users’ private chats remain unaffected. Nikila emphasized that this decision was based on feedback from businesses that value user privacy.
“We’ve talked for years about building a business model that doesn’t interfere with your private messages, and we believe the Updates tab is the right place to deliver these features,” she said.
The updates reflect WhatsApp’s broader push to expand its business ecosystem while opening new revenue streams. With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp’s vast user base offers businesses a major opportunity to scale engagement and sales.
(Raidi/Agung)
