WhatsApp is testing a new folder for messages from large businesses

Core Impact Points

• WhatsApp is testing a new folder for messages from large businesses, such as banks and airlines, to keep them separate from personal and group messages.
• The feature will automatically move messages from large businesses to a new 'Offers & Updates' folder after a set number of hours, which can be up to 24 hours.
• Users can turn off the feature to keep business messages on the main chat timeline, but they won't have control over when messages are moved automatically.
• This feature is part of WhatsApp's efforts to reduce business message spam and improve the user experience, following steps taken in 2024 and 2025 to limit marketing messages and broadcast messages.
• WhatsApp has over 3 billion users and is exploring the use of AI within the app for sales, marketing, and support use cases, which could lead to more businesses using the platform for customer support and sales.
• The new feature may reduce clutter in users' inboxes, but it won't be effective until users have more control over filtering out messages from the main inbox.