WhatsApp is looking to expand beyond messaging and make its platform more useful for everyday activities, including bill payments, financial services and bookings. The Meta-owned platform's global head Kunal Shah has outlined three priorities for the app: richer communication, simpler services and artificial intelligence (AI).
In a post on X, Shah said the company wanted to help users stay connected with people who matter to them while allowing them to get more things done through WhatsApp.
The first priority is to improve communication features such as voice notes, groups, stickers and video. Shah said users send over 10 billion voice messages and more than 4 billion stickers on WhatsApp every day. The company wants to make these experiences simpler and more expressive.
The second focus is to make everyday activities as simple as sending a message. Shah cited activities such as paying bills, borrowing money and staying connected while travelling, which often require users to switch between multiple platforms. WhatsApp is working with financial services and telecom partners to simplify these processes.
However, the payments opportunity comes with its own challenges. Despite its large user base and the rollout of UPI payments, WhatsApp Pay has struggled to gain traction in India. It accounted for just 0.8% of UPI transaction volume in September 2026, far behind PhonePe and Google Pay, which together controlled nearly 78% of the market.
WhatsApp also faces a more immediate problem: spam, particularly from business accounts. Shah's post drew criticism from users on X, who questioned the company's focus on new services and AI while unwanted promotional messages continued to flood their inboxes. A LocalCircles survey in February 2026 found that 96% of WhatsApp users received promotional or spam messages every day.
This could become a bigger challenge as WhatsApp seeks to expand commerce and financial services on its platform. Building trust will be essential if users are expected to discover businesses and complete transactions through the app.
AI is the third priority. Shah said WhatsApp wants to use the technology to help users find information, complete tasks and keep track of bookings and appointments. He did not share details about specific features or launch timelines.
Shah also said the expansion would not come at the cost of privacy. WhatsApp handles over 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls every day, while personal messages and calls will continue to remain end-to-end encrypted.
WhatsApp's ambition is to evolve into a broader digital services platform. But its ability to do so will depend not just on adding features, but also on addressing spam and demonstrating that its payments and business services can gain wider adoption.
