WhatsApp may soon become much more than an app for chatting with friends and family. The company has bigger plans for the platform, including AI tools, bill payments, loan services and booking features. Kunal Shah, WhatsApp's global head since June 2026, has shared the future plans of the company.
This Meta platform serves more than three billion people worldwide and about this Shah remarked, “I think of WhatsApp like a shared language, spoken by 3bn+ people. Sometimes we use words, and sometimes it’s a voice note to a parent, a sticker that ends an argument, or a 'that was a fun dinner' at the end of the night.”
After spending his first four months understanding how people use the app, Shah highlighted that WhatsApp should make conversations more expressive, financial transactions better, and use artificial intelligence to help users complete tasks.
Shah also spoke about improving features such as voice notes, groups, stickers and video calls. WhatsApp users already send over 10 billion voice messages and four billion stickers every day. The company now wants to make daily tasks easier through the app.
The list includes activities like paying bills, borrowing money and managing bookings. AI may also help users find services, make appointments and get reminders without moving between different apps. However, the company has not shared a launch date for these features. Shah also made it clear that personal chats and calls will continue to have end-to-end encryption.
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One of the most interesting plans among all that Shah has mentioned is connecting users with the banks and other lending partners. This will allow people to find loan options and start the application process directly through the app.
However, there is an important difference between helping people find loans and giving them loans. The Meta platform may act as a link between the customer and the lending companies. There’s no need to be a lender itself.
WhatsApp’s plans show that the company wants to make the app useful for more than just communication. If these features are introduced with proper safety measures, users could soon manage several everyday tasks from one place. However, how well the company handles privacy and user trust will play a big role in its success.