Under its new global head Kunal Shah, WhatsApp is looking to expand beyond messaging. In a social media post, Shah said that the Meta-owned platform would focus on making services such as bill payments, financial transactions and international connectivity as seamless as sending a message.

Shah, who took charge of WhatsApp earlier this year, said the messaging platform would focus on three broad areas — making communication more expressive, simplifying everyday tasks and using AI to improve user experiences.

WhatsApp users could potentially complete tasks such as paying bills, borrowing money and staying connected while travelling without having to navigate multiple platforms or services.

“We’re working with financial services and telecom partners so that finishing something feels as easy as starting it,” he said.

Shah’s statement signals WhatsApp’s intent to deepen its push into financial services and commerce, building on its existing payments and business offerings. 

In India, the platform has been expanding its payments capabilities through WhatsApp Pay, although its adoption has remained limited compared with established UPI players.

It also outlined plans to integrate AI more deeply into the messaging experience, with the technology expected to help users find relevant information, complete tasks and keep track of bookings and appointments.

“The best technology saves you time, so you can get back to the connections that matter,” he said.

However, Shah did not specify which AI capabilities the company plans to introduce or whether these would involve more advanced agentic features. It currently offers AI-powered features through Meta AI, including assistance with queries and content generation.

Source link