During Meta’s Q2 2026 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg said that "other revenue" in the family of apps segment surpassed $1 billion, largely driven by WhatsApp paid messaging and subscriptions. As more companies use WhatsApp to reach consumers, users’ inboxes can become cluttered and it gets harder to find personal or group messages.
According to an exclusive report by TechCrunch, Meta is experimenting with a feature that automatically moves messages from larger businesses — such as banks or airlines — into a dedicated "Offers & Updates" folder.
How the test works
- When a user receives a message from a large business, WhatsApp will automatically move that message into the new folder after a preset number of hours. The company is testing different time windows, up to 24 hours.
- Users who prefer to keep all messages on the main timeline can turn the setting off, but they won’t control the exact timing of automatic moves.
- Meta says the feature removes items like discount codes and delivery updates from the main inbox within a few hours, making the primary chat timeline feel less cluttered. For businesses, it means customers can look in a specific folder for their messages rather than having them get lost among other chats.
Who is included in the test
WhatsApp is initially rolling out the feature with select partners on its WhatsApp Business Platform and will consider broader expansion based on observations. Small businesses and individual accounts using WhatsApp Business are currently exempt from the change; WhatsApp said it may consider moving small-business messages to the new "Offers & Updates" folder in the future.
Prior anti-spam measures
In recent years, WhatsApp has introduced several steps to curb business-message spam:
- In 2024, it began allowing users to unsubscribe from marketing messages from brands.
- Last year, it limited the number of broadcast messages businesses and individuals can send within a timeframe.
- In October 2025, it further restricted how many messages businesses can send without receiving a response from users. The first two features have been fully rolled out, while the third is still being iterated.
Despite these measures, many users still find their WhatsApp inboxes chaotic: the article’s author reports frequently starting the day with cleared unread messages and ending with 30–40 unread messages, a majority of which are business communications.
AI agents and the platform’s future
WhatsApp made its AI business agents available globally in June, and more than 1 million businesses are already using them. During the earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted Brazilian car rental company Movida, noting increases in conversions and in handling customer support issues via AI agents. In the coming months, more businesses may adopt AI within WhatsApp for sales, marketing, and support.
With a chat app exceeding 3 billion users, WhatsApp faces the challenge of balancing personal and business messages before the platform becomes a conduit for AI-driven spam. The new folder may reduce clutter somewhat, but it will be most effective if users have stronger control over filtering business messages from their main inbox.
