New Delhi, November 10 (IANS). WhatsApp is preparing to extend its services beyond messaging. Kunal Shah, the new global head of WhatsApp, who took over this responsibility in June 2026, said on Tuesday that Artificial Intelligence, digital payments and better communication features are his three main priorities.
Shah spent the first four months understanding users' expectations and identifying areas where the messaging service could be improved. After this he told about the future roadmap of the platform. Currently, WhatsApp has more than three billion users worldwide.
In a post on 'X', Shah said that the company's focus will be on helping people stay closer to each other and making everyday tasks easier within the application.
He described WhatsApp as a 'shared language' that is used by billions of people. Here people communicate through text messages, voice notes, stickers and videos.
He said, “I see WhatsApp as a shared language, spoken by more than 3 billion people. Sometimes we use words, send voice notes to our parents, use stickers to break up an argument, or send a message after dinner like 'Today's dinner was very fun'. Language is at the core of everything we do. We write letters, tell stories, get things done and make plans for the future. Often it all starts with a WhatsApp chat.”
Shah further said, “Over the last few months, I listened to our users and tried to understand what they wanted from us. What I understood is very simple – people want us to help them stay closer to their loved ones and get their tasks done easily on WhatsApp. So, we will work in this direction.”
The first priority will be to make conversations more effective and easier to use. Keeping in mind the changes in our communication habits, WhatsApp is planning to improve features like voice notes, group chat, stickers and video interactions.
Referring to the sheer scale of conversations taking place on the platform, Shah said users send more than 10 billion voice messages and more than 4 billion stickers every day.
The second main focus will be to ease financial and everyday transactions. Shah said that many tasks like paying bills, using financial services and staying connected while traveling often start with a conversation on WhatsApp, but users have to go to other applications to complete them.
“Many tasks start with a chat, but require a physical step to complete. Like paying a bill, borrowing money, or staying connected while you're traveling. Every time you switch to another task, it takes time. We're working with financial services and telecom companies to make it as easy to complete a task as it is to start it,” he said.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be the third pillar of WhatsApp's growth strategy. Shah said, “Thirdly, we want to make all these tasks more efficient with the help of AI. It finds what you need without any hassle, gets things done and ensures that you never miss any booking or appointment. The best technology is the one that saves your time, so that you can reconnect with the people who matter to you.”
–IANS
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