San Francisco, July 21: Meta-owned WhatsApp has begun rolling out the "Status Ads and Promoted Channel" feature to more users, bringing sponsored content to the Updates tab. The latest update is still available in beta; therefore, it can be accessed through the TestFlight beta Program. The new WhatsApp feature has already been rolled out as a beta for Android users and has now been released for iOS beta users.

WhatsApp's ‘Status Ads and Promoted Channels' feature has been rolled out via iOS 25.20.10.78 version. It helps the users get detailed information about the advertisements on the platform. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the two new ways, 'Status Ads' and 'Promoted Channels', are available directly integrated through the Updates tab for the customers. Grok 4 New Feature Update: Elon Musk’s xAI Introduces ‘Quick Answer’ and ‘Think Harder’ Features to Latest Grok AI Chatbot for Faster, Smarter Responses.

The report mentioned that the new feature would ensure that the personal messages and calls remain private. The iOS users will get the same functionality and benefits as the iOS version. WhatsApp's new feature is specifically designed to help users increase the visibility of the public channel. They will get special placement in the channel directory and help attract more followers. OpenAI IMO Achievement: OpenAI’s Experimental Model Achieves Gold Medal-Level Performance at 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad.

The new WhatsApp feature will be beneficial to many types of businesses, such as restaurants, which can promote their recipe channel on the platform. It aims to ensure that the people browsing the directory would see it featured at the top of the results. Using this WhatsApp feature, users such as brands, creators, and organisations can gain visibility directly on the platform. When any WhatsApp Channel is prompted, a subtle label will show the viewers that it is a paid promotion. With this little label, the users can identify the sponsored content, and  WhatsApp can ensure transparency.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 21, 2025 02:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).