WhatsApp Rolls Out Channels Feature to Over 150 Countries: How It Works

WhatsApp Channels — the Meta-owned messaging service’s newest function aimed toward rising engagement on the platform — is rolling out to customers in India and several other different international locations. Designed as a one-way broadcast software, these channels enable customers to share updates with numerous customers on WhatsApp. At the second, customers can search from a listing to discover a channel created by their favorite content material creator, enterprise, or celeb. Members will have the ability to react to messages despatched by the channel proprietor.

The Meta-owned messaging service introduced on Wednesday that WhatsApp Channels are rolling out to customers in 150 international locations, together with India. The function, which was noticed in growth earlier this 12 months, needs to be obtainable to all customers within the coming weeks. Meta Co-Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the information on his personal channel, and customers can be a part of the official WhatsApp Channel to get updates concerning the platform. Instagram already helps an analogous function and rival platform Telegram additionally permits customers to affix one-way broadcast channels. 

WhatsApp Channels are displayed in a brand new tab that may present up on iOS and Android smartphones known as Updates. This tab will embrace each WhatsApp Status messages in addition to the brand new WhatsApp Channels function. Users may entry an enhanced director which might be filtered based mostly on their nation and see channels which might be in style based mostly on follower depend, most lively, and new on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp Channels might be joined by customers who’ve a sound invite hyperlink. In order to guard person privateness, the app won’t disclose the cellphone variety of the person who created the channel. Members will be unable to see others who’ve joined the identical channel, and their cellphone numbers will stay hidden from the channel proprietor.

Messages despatched through WhatsApp Channels shall be displayed for a interval of 30 days, in accordance with the corporate. Channel members can react to messages which might be shared, however they can’t reply to them. Messages which might be broadcast in a channel aren’t protected by end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp says that each one different types of communication like direct messages, group chats, calls, standing messages, and attachments will proceed to be protected by end-to-end encryption.

In order to popularise the function and drive engagement of the brand new WhatsApp Channels function, Meta has partnered with the Indian Cricket crew and celebrities like Diljit Dosanjh, Neha Kakkar, and Katrina Kaif who’ve all created channels on the app. WhatsApp mentioned will enable any person to create a channel within the coming months.