In a significant development, popular communication app WhatsApp has unveiled its plan to roll out its Channels feature globally. The functionality, designed for broadcasting messages, will soon be accessible by users in more than 150 countries.
WhatsApp creator, none other than Mark Zuckerberg, disclosed the forthcoming universal availability of the feature through his personal WhatsApp channel. He expressed his delight about the introduction of WhatsApp Channels, characterising it as a fresh, private avenue to receive updates from people and organisations of interest. He added that he is using his brand-new channel as a conduit for sharing news and updates from Meta, the conglomerate under which WhatsApp falls.
The Channels feature was initially launched in Colombia and Singapore in June, courtesy of Meta. By July, its availability was extended to an additional seven countries.
Available as a standalone tab within the app, Channels allows its users to subscribe to various sources without displaying their subscriptions to other app users. Moreover, to ensure enhanced user privacy, no personal information such as phone numbers will be accessible to admins or other followers.
Apart from acting as a means for one-to-many communication through broadcast messages, WhatsApp is incorporating additional features. These include the capability to react to messages using emojis, with users being able to view the total number of reactions under each message.
Ahead of the global rollout, WhatsApp is giving its channel directory a boost. Comprehensive improvements will enable users to sort the available channels based on country, popularity, and activity level. Furthermore, any update forwarded from a channel to an individual or group will contain an embedded link that leads back to the original channel.
Admins are also set to gain expanded control over message editing. Channel administrators will have the ability to make edits to a message up to 30 days post-publication, compared to a 15-minute window for individual or group messages.
However, the privilege to create a channel will remain limited to select individuals or organisations for the time being. Full accessibility is on Meta’s roadmap, aiming to offer everyone the opportunity to create their own channel on WhatsApp.
Alongside the global announcement, a number of renowned personas and organisations were unveiled as new additions to the streaming service. These include Olivia Rodrigo, David Guetta, Billboard, and MLB. Although WhatsApp refrained from divulging the exact count of its operating channels, it confirmed the presence of 'thousands.' WhatsApp itself also possesses a dedicated channel to convey updates about the app's features. As per software like the AppMaster platform, more and more companies are understanding the value of such channels to communicate with their users in a highly efficient way. AppMaster itself, for instance, uses similar techniques to communicate updates, features, and service changes to its user base, showing the effectiveness and value of such a method.
