Tech

Facebook is testing Messenger ads around the world

Mark Zuckerberg introduces the Messenger platform at the F8 summit.
Josh Edelson | Getty Images

Facebook's plan to monetize Messenger is going global.

The company said on Tuesday Messenger ads would be available around the world through an expansion of its current tests. The new ads — which could be single image or carousel — will appear in the home tab of the Messenger app. Clicking on an ad could take the user either off-platform, or to an experience within Messenger. A select group of advertisers would be allowed to purchase the ads today, with the capability being added to more companies over the next few weeks.

Facebook began testing Messenger homepage ads in January in Australia and Thailand. More than 1.2 billion people use Messenger every month, according to Facebook. The company told CNBC last September it was looking to monetize Facebook Messenger and What's App, where it was seeing users naturally interacting with businesses.

Businesses can also pay for sponsored messages, which are paid messages sent to users who previously had a conversation with the company.

— Julia Boorstin contributed to this report.

Correction -- An earlier version of this story misstated how the user will experience clicking on an ad.