If you’ve observed something unusual on WhatsApp today, you’re not on your own — the app has rolled out new functionalities on its Updates tab, featuring channel subscriptions, promoted channels, and advertisements in status.

“Today we are launching several new functionalities for our Updates tab, which encompasses both Channels and Status,” Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, mentioned in a blog post. “Over the past two years, we have been dedicated to transforming this tab into a hub for discovering something new on WhatsApp, which is now utilized by 1.5 billion individuals daily. We are motivated by the excitement and aim to support admins, organizations, and businesses in their growth on WhatsApp.”

Users can now subscribe for a monthly fee to gain exclusive updates from chosen channels. Channels can promote themselves to show up on users’ screens, aiding in “discovering new channels” and helping admins in “boosting their Channel’s visibility.” Furthermore, if a business advertises its service in Status, users will have the opportunity to chat with them regarding their product or service.

Meta ensured that these updates will not interrupt casual WhatsApp users who solely use the app for messaging, as these features will exclusively be available on the Updates tab. The company also highlighted that they have “designed these features in the most private manner possible.” Everything continues to be end-to-end encrypted, and users can modify their ad preferences within their Accounts Center.