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WhatsApp Rolling Out Status Ads and Promoted Channels in Latest Android Beta: Report

WhatsApp Rolling Out Status Ads and Promoted Channels in Latest Android Beta: Report

A new WhatsApp beta update brings ads for its Status section and an option for people to promote their channels in the directory, as per a report.

Written by Dhruv Raghav, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 18 July 2025 19:55 IST

WhatsApp Rolling Out Status Ads and Promoted Channels in Latest Android Beta: Report

Photo Credit: Pexels/Anton

WhatsApp's new beta update will reportedly allow users to block advertisers

Highlights

The new WhatsApp beta update is version 2.25.21.11
Status Ads is said to allow businesses to promote themselves
The features reportedly do not compromise privacy

WhatsApp for Android's latest beta is reportedly rolling out the Status Ads and Promoted Channels features, which were first announced by Meta on June 17. As per a WhatsApp beta tracker, the latest beta version of the app is said to allow business account users or creators to post sponsored content in the Status section of the app, in turn helping them promote their businesses.

WhatsApp Public Beta Gets Status Ads and Promoted Channels

According to a report by WABetainfo, WhatsApp is rolling out the beta version 2.25.21.11 of its Android app to select testers with two new features. These features are said to be Status Ads and Promoted Channels. After being announced by the company on June 17, the Ads in Status and Promoted Channel functionalities are now publicly available to beta testers.

The new WhatsApp beta update will reportedly allow businesses to gain traction faster
Photo Credit: WABetainfo

WhatsApp Makes it Easier to Chat With Support, Adds AI-Powered Responses

The report provides details regarding the two new features. First is reportedly Status Ads, which will allow businesses to advertise their content in the Status section. These ads would appear between status updates of a user's contacts, however, they would be flagged as sponsored content, the report added. It is said to show users ads in the same fashion as they view the statuses of individuals who are not businesses. It will reportedly also allow WhatsApp users to block advertisers if they wish to, preventing them from showing up again.

Second is said to be Promoted Channels, which reportedly function as Status Ads do, but would focus on making public channels more visible. When a business promotes the channel, it would be highlighted in the directory, potentially increasing its reach, the report added. Creators, brands, and other business account holders are said to gain traction faster than they would organically. There is said to be a small label attached to such promoted channels to mark them as sponsored. The report claims that the two new features will not hamper the privacy of WhatsApp users, while still allowing businesses to grow.

As part of its WhatsApp beta 2.25.19.15 for Android update, the company had earlier reportedly started rolling out a feature for beta testers that allows users to generate detailed downloadable reports with information about the ads they have viewed in the Status and Channels sections. It is said to also offer information regarding the advertisers and the particular dates on which the ads were shown to the users.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp ads, android phones

Dhruv Raghav

Email Dhruv Raghav

Dhruv Raghav is currently working as a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets360. He has previously covered the North American financial markets as a Headline News Correspondent for a major news agency. After taking a sabbatical to prepare for the Civil Services examination, he returned to journalism to cover tech policy, with a special focus on AI laws and online gaming regulation. Now, he is back in Gadgets360 to write features and edit stories. To unwind, he likes to spend time with his PS5, listening ...More