- WhatsApp started testing ads in Status and Channels last year.
- New strings in the app hint that Meta could introduce an ad-free subscription.
- Ad-free subscriptions are already available for Facebook and Instagram to some users.
With as much division there is in the world right now, at least we can all agree on one thing: Ads suck. At best, we tolerate them, but the incessant push to introduce them to every last corner of our lives can be incredibly frustrating to endure — who ever thought they’d be getting ads on their kitchen fridge? Sometimes, at least, we get the option to avoid ads (for a price), and now we may have spotted one of the next apps planning to introduce just such a program.
Last year, WhatsApp started testing ads for its Status and Channels views. And as you’d only expect, there was immediate pushback. But, so far, Meta seems committed to this course, and only plans to introduce ads to more and more users. But as we dig around the code of WhatsApp’s new version 2.26.3.9 release, we’re seeing evidence that suggests Meta may eventually offer a paid ad-free subscription model.