WhatsApp has set new messaging limits for both individuals and businesses to tackle spam and unsolicited messages.
The change, which restricts how many messages can be sent without receiving a reply, will enable Meta to protect user experience while expanding WhatsApp’s business ecosystem.
Over the years, WhatsApp has evolved from a personal messaging app into a complex communication platform connecting friends, families, communities, and businesses. But with that growth has come an influx of spam, from unsolicited marketing blasts to cold outreach messages.
The company is now testing new policies that will count every message sent to non-responsive contacts against a monthly quota.
This means that if a user or business sends multiple messages to someone who doesn’t reply, for instance, after meeting at a conference, those messages will count toward their limit.
Once that threshold is close to being reached, WhatsApp will warn the sender with a pop-up notification showing how many messages they have left before hitting the cap.
Although WhatsApp has not revealed the exact number of messages permitted, it confirmed to TechCrunch that the test is being rolled out across multiple countries in the coming weeks.
According to the company, average users are unlikely to hit this limit. The measure is aimed primarily at those who “blast messages and spam people,” disrupting the experience of regular users.
Personally, I understand why this change is necessary. My WhatsApp inbox usually seems like an endless wall of unread messages, many from unknown contacts or business accounts I never interacted with. This is a common experience in countries like India, where WhatsApp doubles as both a personal and business communication tool.
The new “Messaging Limit Framework,” which officially took effect on October 7, 2025, will apply limits per phone number, WhatsApp now enforces a single cap across entire business accounts. This closes the loophole where companies could bypass restrictions by using multiple numbers. The rule applies to all outreach, from broadcasts to follow-ups, targeting users who haven’t responded.
At the same time, WhatsApp is testing a monthly cap on broadcast messages, accompanied by a new “Broadcast Management” dashboard. This tool allows businesses to track how many messages they have sent and how many remain for the month, designed to promote more targeted, consent-based communication rather than mass marketing.
Behind these changes is Meta’s focus on monetising WhatsApp through its business messaging services, projected to generate $10 billion in annual revenue by 2026. The WhatsApp Business API is at the heart of this strategy, giving enterprises tools to engage customers while still maintaining trust and user satisfaction.
To complement the limits, WhatsApp has expanded user management, giving people more say over who can message them. These include:
- “Unsubscribe” buttons within business chats
- Easy-access “Report” and “Block” shortcuts
- Labels identifying verified business accounts
These updates are especially important in markets like India, Brazil, and Nigeria, where WhatsApp is usually the main channel for both personal and business communication.
With billions of users and increasing business activity on the platform, WhatsApp’s new approach comes as a balancing act, protecting people from spam while ensuring companies can still reach customers who genuinely want to hear from them.
