WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Meta, announced today the global rollout of its Channels feature. This new feature allows users to receive updates and messages from people and organizations they follow. With Channels, WhatsApp aims to provide a private and secure way for individuals to stay connected with their favorite brands, celebrities, and news outlets.
Key Takeaway
WhatsApp’s Channels feature is now available globally, allowing users to receive updates and messages from their favorite organizations and celebrities. With enhanced features and improved admin controls, WhatsApp aims to provide a private and engaging communication channel for individuals around the world.
Expanding Reach to over 150 Countries
WhatsApp Channels, initially introduced in Colombia and Singapore, is now expanding its reach to more than 150 countries over the next few weeks. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, made the announcement on his own WhatsApp channel. He expressed his excitement about introducing WhatsApp Channels as a way to share Meta news and updates.
The Channels feature can be found in a separate tab within the app, ensuring privacy for users. The channels they follow will remain hidden from others, including personal information such as phone numbers.
Enhanced Features and Interactions
With the global launch of WhatsApp Channels, the company has introduced new features to enhance user interactions. Users can now react with emojis to the messages they receive through channels. The total count of reactions will be visible under each message, allowing for a more engaging experience.
To help users find channels relevant to their country, WhatsApp has improved its directory. Users can now sort the channels by new, most active, and most popular. When forwarding updates from a channel to a group or an individual, a link back to the original channel will be included.
New Admin Controls and Notable Channels
For channel admins, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to edit messages for up to 30 days. This feature gives admins more flexibility in managing and updating their channel content. Regular users will also have the option to edit messages within a 15-minute window.
While the ability to create channels is currently limited to select individuals and organizations, WhatsApp plans to eventually allow everyone to create their own channel. With the global launch, WhatsApp has added notable channels such as Olivia Rodrigo, David Guetta, Billboard, MLB, and the official WhatsApp channel for app-related updates.
