WhatsApp launches new feature ‘Channels’ for broadcast messages

Meta-owned WhatsApp on Thursday launched a new feature referred to as — “Channels” throughout the app for broadcast messaging, i.e., a easy, dependable and personal strategy to obtain necessary updates from individuals and organisations.

The firm stated that it’s constructing Channels in a new tab referred to as Updates, the place customers will discover Status and channels they select to comply with — separate from their chats with household, pals and communities.

“Channels are a one-way broadcast instrument for admins to ship textual content, photographs, movies, stickers, and polls. To assist you choose channels to comply with, we’re constructing a searchable listing the place you could find your hobbies, sports activities groups, updates from native officers, and extra,” WhatsApp stated in a blogpost.

Users also can get to a channel from invite hyperlinks despatched in chats, e-mails or posted on-line.

To shield the private info of each admins and followers, the corporate stated that as a channel admin, their telephone quantity and profile photograph will not be proven to followers, likewise, following a channel will not reveal their telephone quantity to the admin or different followers.

Moreover, WhatsApptalked about that the corporate will retailer channel historical past on their servers for as much as 30 days and can add methods to make updates disappear even quicker from followers’ units.

Admins can even have the choice to dam screenshots and forwards from their channels.

Channels is not going to be end-to-end encrypted by default because the purpose of Channels is to achieve a large viewers.

“We do assume there are some instances the place end-to-end encrypted channels to a restricted viewers would possibly make sense, resembling a non-profit or well being organisation, and we’re exploring this as a future choice as nicely,” WhatsApp stated.

With this feature, the corporate believes there is a chance to help admins with a approach for them to construct a enterprise round their channel utilizing their increasing fee companies in addition to the flexibility to advertise sure channels within the listing to assist improve consciousness.

The companyis launching Channels in choose markets — Colombia and Singapore and stated it should convey Channels to extra nations and the flexibility for anybody to create a channel over the approaching months.

(With inputs from IANS)