WhatsApp Status to start showing ads within next few months
Robin Sinha | Gadgets Now | Aug 3, 2018, 07:00AM IST
WhatsApp might get more annoying for you in the coming months. The Facebook-owned subsidiary will start showing advertisements in its Status feature. The instant chat app is said to have already started allowing firms to contact you using the service, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. The report also states that WhatsApp will be charging companies ‘half a penny and 9 cents’ depending on the country. This is for every message delivered to the customers.
The company spokesperson told the Journal that around 100 companies are already testing the new ad style. Some of the companies are Singapore Airlines, Wish and the popular ride-sharing service Uber.
However, users won’t start seeing these ads in the WhatsApp Status feature right away as it will be coming by next year. It is worth adding that Facebook’s Instagram already shows ads in Stories. Also mentioned is that the messages from business feature will be offered in an opt-in basis. Although this might be Facebook’s best way to make more money out of its products, it may not go down well with users.
WhatsApp has brought a couple of major features onboard recently. The company recently rolled out voice and video group calling to all Android and iOS users. The feature allows users to make calls with up to 4 users at a time. Users just need to start a one-on-one voice or video call and tap the new "add participant" button in the top right corner to add more contacts to the call.
Last month the company also rolled out the ‘forwarded’ label on messages to all users. The feature, as the name suggests, lets users know which messages are forwarded. The company also announced that it is testing the forward message restriction feature in India. The aim for this is to curb the spreading of fake news on the platform.
The company spokesperson told the Journal that around 100 companies are already testing the new ad style. Some of the companies are Singapore Airlines, Wish and the popular ride-sharing service Uber.
However, users won’t start seeing these ads in the WhatsApp Status feature right away as it will be coming by next year. It is worth adding that Facebook’s Instagram already shows ads in Stories. Also mentioned is that the messages from business feature will be offered in an opt-in basis. Although this might be Facebook’s best way to make more money out of its products, it may not go down well with users.
WhatsApp has brought a couple of major features onboard recently. The company recently rolled out voice and video group calling to all Android and iOS users. The feature allows users to make calls with up to 4 users at a time. Users just need to start a one-on-one voice or video call and tap the new "add participant" button in the top right corner to add more contacts to the call.
Last month the company also rolled out the ‘forwarded’ label on messages to all users. The feature, as the name suggests, lets users know which messages are forwarded. The company also announced that it is testing the forward message restriction feature in India. The aim for this is to curb the spreading of fake news on the platform.
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