WhatsApp is trying to solve the spam problem by limiting the number of messages individuals and businesses can send to strangers without them replying.
The app started out as a simple way to send messages to personal contacts, but over time it has become more complex with groups, communities, and business messaging. With these changes, people are receiving more messages than ever before, making it difficult to keep up with them all.
All messages that users or businesses send to other users will count toward this new monthly limit, unless they receive a response. For example, if you meet someone at a meeting and send 3 messages, that will count against your limit.
WhatsApp is testing various restrictions during this period, so it hasn’t said what the limits will be.
However, if a business or individual is about to reach the limit, the app will alert those users with a pop-up showing the count so they can avoid being blocked from sending messages.
The company told TechCrunch that the test will be conducted in multiple countries in the coming weeks. It also said that the average user typically won’t reach the limit and it won’t affect their messaging experience. Instead, this control is designed to be effective against people and businesses that send too many messages or send spam.
When you look at your WhatsApp inbox, you may find more than 50 unread messages. If you look into who sent it, you’ll find that it’s often from companies or strangers. People around me have similar experiences, as WhatsApp serves as a versatile communication tool in markets like India, where I am based.
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Over the last year, WhatsApp has sought to curb some of this spamming through tools and guardrails. In July 2024, the company began testing limits on the number of marketing messages businesses can send to people in a month. In 2024, it began rolling out an option for users to unsubscribe from marketing messages from companies. This way, you can receive updates and support from the company without getting spammed.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp began experimenting with limits on the number of broadcast messages users and businesses can send to others. The company said it has begun expanding the experiment in more than a dozen countries, including India, one of its largest markets with more than 500 million users.
