WhatsApp looks to make everyday services as simple as sending a message: Kunal Shah

WhatsApp plans to make services such as bill payments, borrowing money and staying connected while travelling easier to access through the messaging platform, as it looks to expand its role beyond communication, Kunal Shah, Head of WhatsApp, said in a post on X.

WhatsApp is working with financial services and telecom partners to make everyday tasks such as paying bills, borrowing money and staying connected while travelling as simple as sending a message, Kunal Shah, Head of WhatsApp, said in a post on X. Reflecting on his nearly four months at WhatsApp, Shah said the platform would focus on helping users stay connected with people who matter to them while enabling them to complete more everyday tasks within the app.

He said many activities that begin in a WhatsApp conversation currently require users to move to other platforms or applications to complete them. The company wants to reduce these steps through partnerships with financial services and telecom providers. "Too many things start in a chat and end with many more steps somewhere else: paying a bill, borrowing money, staying connected when you travel. Each handoff to another task costs time. We're working with financial services and telecom partners so that finishing something feels as easy as starting it," Shah said.

The company also plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help users find information, complete tasks and keep track of bookings and appointments, making the platform more useful beyond messaging. "It should quietly find what you need, get things done and make sure you never miss a booking or an appointment," Shah said, adding that technology should save users time so they can focus on their personal connections.

Alongside these additions, WhatsApp will continue improving its communication features, including voice notes, groups, stickers and video, to make interactions more expressive. Shah said users send more than 10 billion voice messages and over 4 billion stickers on WhatsApp every day. The platform handles more than 100 billion messages and 2 billion calls daily, while connecting over 3 billion people worldwide.

Describing WhatsApp as a shared language shaped by its users, Shah said the company would continue evolving its services based on how people communicate and what they need from the platform. He stressed that the expansion into additional services would not compromise user privacy. Personal messages and calls will continue to remain end-to-end encrypted, he said.

"Trust takes years to earn and a moment to lose, and I don't take that lightly," Shah said, reiterating that simplicity, reliability and privacy would remain central to the platform as it develops new capabilities. (ANI)