Where last week saw WhatsApp releasing a new Beta version that tells of things to come, this week sees WhatsApp releasing a new feature into their app to offer even more communication avenue and flexibility for its users. They call the new feature Channels, and it allows users to create a one-to-many communication channel. That allows corporate users or even celebrities and influencers to create a single messaging platform for brand-specific messages to all their subscribers, fans, and customers.
To be fair, the feature is not technically brand-new. The feature has been tested and piloted successfully in Colombia and Singapore. Following the success, WhatsApp thinks it is ready for primetime in 150 countries.
While it is designed for brands, organizations, and even celebrities to directly reach out to other their fans, customers, and communities without the clout of input from participants in the channel, WhatsApp is working to making the feature available and accessible to all WhatsApp users which might mean that you can try creating a channel on your own in the future. Participants in channels can also react with emoji rather than having access to the message board, which also means that user interaction within the channel is not completely culled.
There are concerns that it might be confusing for users to distinguish between a channel communication and regular chat since they will look similar through the interface. WhatsApp will be adding a new section just for Channels though, allowing you to quickly separate Channels communication and regular chats with your friends. That does not mean that you cannot use any messaging from Channels in your daily regular chats though. You still can forward messages from Channels to your friends or groups if you feel like you want to share some news. It might also encourage the larger adoption of Channels this way.
The WhatsApp Channels update should be coming to most users by the end of today (19th September 2023), at least according to the WhatsApp team from Meta. If you have not received the update or have not seen the update, you might want to check if your WhatsApp has been updated to the latest version or not via your Google Play Store or Apple App Store. For more information WhatsApp’s latest feature, you can head out to their blog.