WhatsApp is undergoing a significant transformation with its latest update, introducing a feature called “WhatsApp Channels.” This new feature aims to expand the platform’s functionality beyond personal communication and into the realm of following updates from individuals and organizations. WhatsApp Channels serves as a one-way broadcast tool that delivers updates in a separate tab called “Updates,” distinct from your regular chats with friends, family, and communities.
WhatsApp Channels will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks and will be accessible in more than 150 countries, including India. Users can discover channels to follow, which are automatically filtered based on their country, or they can search for channels by name or category. Additionally, channels that are new, highly active, or popular based on the number of followers will be featured.
Several prominent celebrities, sports teams, artists, thought leaders, and organizations from India and around the world will have WhatsApp Channels for users to follow. For example, Indian users can follow the Indian Cricket team, Bollywood stars like Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar, as well as notable figures like Mark Zuckerberg.
WhatsApp emphasizes the privacy aspect of Channels. As a channel follower, your phone number and profile photo will remain private and not visible to the channel admin or other followers. Likewise, following a channel will not disclose your phone number to the admin. Your choice of whom to follow is entirely private, and channel history will be saved for only 30 days.
Users can interact with channel updates by using emojis and seeing a count of total reactions. However, these reactions are not visible to other followers. Users can also forward updates to chats or groups, providing a link back to the channel for further information. If you wish to stop following a channel, you can easily mute or unsubscribe at any time.
Admins have the capability to create a channel using their existing WhatsApp account or a new one. They can also edit updates for up to 30 days, after which they will be automatically deleted from WhatsApp servers.
WhatsApp Channels represents a significant shift for the platform, expanding its utility to include following updates from a diverse range of sources while maintaining a strong emphasis on user privacy.
