New Delhi: WhatsApp will focus on making conversations more engaging, bringing everyday services such as bill payments into chats and using artificial intelligence (AI) to save users time, while maintaining the privacy of personal messages and calls, CEO Kunal Shah said on Wednesday.
Shah, who took charge of the Meta-owned messaging platform in June, said he had spent the past few months listening to users and understanding their expectations.
"What I heard is simple: help people stay close to those who matter to them, and get more done on WhatsApp. So that's what we'll build," he said in a post on X.
Shah said WhatsApp users send more than 10 billion voice messages and over four billion stickers every day.
He identified richer communication as the platform's first priority, saying WhatsApp would improve features such as voice notes, groups, stickers, and video to make interactions simpler and more expressive.
"Sometimes hearing someone's voice, sending a joke, agreeing on a plan or knowing they're safe is the whole point," he said, adding that the way people communicate and maintain relationships continues to evolve.
The second priority is making it easier for users to complete everyday tasks without leaving conversations. Shah said activities such as paying bills, borrowing money, and staying connected while travelling often require users to move between different platforms and services.
WhatsApp is working with financial services and telecom partners to reduce these steps and make completing tasks within chats easier, he said.
"Finishing something feels as easy as starting it," Shah said, describing the platform's objective.
AI will be the third focus area. Shah said the technology should help users find what they need, complete tasks and avoid missing bookings or appointments.
"The best technology saves you time, so you can get back to the connections that matter," he said.
Despite these planned changes, Shah stressed that privacy and reliability would remain central to WhatsApp's operations.
The platform handles more than 100 billion messages and two billion calls every day, he said, adding that it must remain simple, reliable and private.
"Trust takes years to earn and a moment to lose, and I don't take that lightly," Shah said.
He assured users that personal messages and calls would continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, with no change to the platform's privacy standards.
Meta appointed Shah, founder of fintech platform CRED, as WhatsApp's global head in June. He succeeded Will Cathcart, who had led the messaging service since 2019.
As part of the move, Meta led a funding round of about Rs 8,550 crore in CRED, valuing the Bengaluru-headquartered company at Rs 43,239 crore.