WhatsApp confirms that adverts will start popping up next year

Here's everything you need to know

WhatsApp - it might not have existed ten years ago but it's now one of the most downloaded apps ever, making Apple's top 20 free apps list last year. It reportedly boasts 1.5 billion users across 180 countries. Great for group chats, quick calls and sharing updates about your terrible Tinder dates, even the royals use it (Prince Harry shared his baby news on the family group chat, apparently).

But a new update hasn't gone down too well with WhatsApp users.

This week, at Facebook's annual Marketing Summit in the Netherlands, a new advert feature was announced which will reportedly be similar to Instagram's 'swipe up'.

When Mark Zuckerberg bought the app for a cool $19 million back in 2014, he said it would never be an advertising platform - so when the change was revealed users were, understandably, less than impressed.

Attendee Olivier Ponteville shared information about the update with his followers on Twitter, detailing that the ads will appear within WhatsApp Statuses by 2020.

Twitter users shared their opinion on the advert feature, with some vowing to switch to an alternative messaging app and others planning to leave the 'Facebook family' completely.

'Time to leave WhatsApp and the complete Facebook family,' one person wrote.

'Oh well, time to look for an alternative then,' another said.

A third added: 'Well, it was nice while it lasted, bye bye WhatsApp.'

Of course, there are other ways to message your friends/colleagues/dating app matches. You can actually text them! It still exists! Even if the only ones you currently receive are from Dominoes and your mum.

Will this new ad feature change the way you use WhatsApp? Would you consider downloading an alternative app in order to avoid the ads? Or are you completely indifferent about the updates and happy to continue using it?

Let us know on Twitter or Facebook @marieclaireuk.