WhatsApp, owned by Meta, just introduced a new feature ‘ WhatsApp Channels‘: a simple, reliable, and private way to receive important updates from people and organizations, right within WhatsApp. In a new page called Updates, Meta is creating Channels that are independent from your chats with family, friends, and communities. In this tab, you’ll find Status and the channels you choose to follow.

Admins can communicate text, images, videos, stickers, and polls through channels, which are one-way broadcasting methods. They are creating a searchable directory where you can locate your hobbies, sports teams, announcements from local leaders, and more to assist you in choosing channels to follow. Additionally, you can access a channel by clicking on invite links shared online, in emails, or in chats.

What Are WhatsApp Channels?

The goal of Meta is to create the most exclusive broadcast service currently accessible. Admins’ and followers’ personal information must first be protected. Your phone number and profile picture will not be visible to followers as a channel admin. Similarly, following a channel prevents the admin or other followers from learning your phone number. It’s your call and private who you choose to follow.

We don’t think Channel updates need to exist forever, much like how we construct messages. As a result, they only keep channel history on our systems for a maximum of 30 days, and they add features to make updates vanish from followers’ devices even faster. Additionally, administrators will be given the choice to ban screenshots and forwards from their channels.

Finally, Meta gives admins the choice of who can follow their channel and whether they want it to be searchable in the directory. Since reaching a large audience is the goal of channels, they are not by design end-to-end encrypted. They do believe there are some circumstances, such as a non-profit or healthcare institution, where end-to-end encrypted channels to a small audience would make sense. Meta is now examining this as a potential alternative.

To launch WhatsApp Channels, Meta is eager to develop, learn from, and customize the experience in Colombia and Singapore, where it will be made available for the first time. Over the upcoming months, they will expand the number of countries where Channels are available and enable anyone to start a channel.

Meta will also think there’s a chance to help admins by giving them a method to use our increasing payment services to develop a company around their channel, as well as the chance to advertise particular channels in the directory to raise exposure.

Private messaging between friends, family, and groups will undoubtedly remain at the core of how people use WhatsApp, therefore that will always come first. Our users have been requesting that we take a huge step—building channels—for years. We believe the moment has come to offer a straightforward, dependable, and private broadcasting tool, and we hope you have pleasure in utilizing it in the months and years to come.

How to create a WhatsApp channel?

Follow these steps to set up a WhatsApp channel on your phone:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the Updates tab
2. Tap the plus icon (+) and select ‘New channel’
3. Enter a channel name and description
4. Add an optional channel icon.
5. Tap Create channel.

You can start sharing updates with your followers after creating a channel. Simply open the channel in question and tap the plus sign (+) to start a new message. Text, pictures, movies, stickers, and polls can all be shared.

In the Updates tab, your followers can see your updates. They can respond to your messages and provide comments as well.

WhatsApp Channels FAQs

1. What are WhatsApp Channels? WhatsApp Channels are a new feature that allows admins to send one-way broadcasts, including text, media, and polls, to users who choose to follow them.

2. How do I follow a channel? You can follow a channel by accessing the “Updates” tab within the WhatsApp app and selecting the channels that interest you.

3. Is my personal information safe when I follow a channel? Yes, your phone number and profile photo remain private when you follow a channel. Channel admins cannot access this information.

4. How long are channel updates stored? Channel updates are stored on WhatsApp’s servers for up to 30 days, with options to make them disappear from your device even faster.

5. Are WhatsApp Channels end-to-end encrypted? By default, Channels are not end-to-end encrypted, but WhatsApp is exploring this option for specific channels, such as non-profits or health organizations, in the future.

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