The wait is finally over. Among the numerous innovations implemented by the WhatsApp developers there is one that has been long awaited and which, at the moment, only some users residing in certain parts of the world have been able to experience. These are WhatsApp channels, available in Morocco, Kenya, Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia, Peru and Ukraine. At least until now.
Passed with excellent test results, i channels are ready to be broadcast to all web users. This was announced by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp. Let’s find out all the details.
WhatsApp channels available for everyone, Meta’s decision
Testing the WhatsApp channels took several months, which was helpful for refine the new functionality, to avoid bugs and to identify all the tools necessary to allow them to be used safely, with total respect for members’ privacy, and to offer administrators what they need to monitor and control conversations.
After collecting feedback and solving the first problems, Meta has decided to open the channels and make them accessible to everyone. The global launch has finally been announced: diffusion is already taking place and in the coming days and weeks there will be more and more users who will be able to view, use and create the channels.
The announcement it arrived via the official Meta channel, directly from Mark Zuckerberg. The latter has also declared the opening of its official channel in which it will share updates, insights and news relating to the instant messaging platform and, most likely, also on the Meta social networks, such as Instagram and Facebook.
Further changes to the channels were also announced, such as the inclusion of an advanced directory with filters to use to explore channelsthe insertion of reactions and a message forwarding function, which will present a link to the channel from which they come.
The channels, how to use them and for what purpose
Channels are a feature designed specifically to enable users to receive all the information and updates they need on a certain theme or topic. They can be created by organizations or people who need to communicate with a more or less large audience, saving time and money.
Once the app receives the feature, the channels can be found within the current called section State, where you can also view the stories posted by users. This area will be renamed Updates and you will be able to find the channels to follow. Some are suggested by WhatsApp and which could be interesting for the user, while the others can be found through a quick search exploring the list of all verified ones.
Who decides to follow a channel you don’t have to fear for your privacy. The telephone numbers will remain hidden from followers.
To know more: Guide to WhatsApp: how to use and install WhatsApp
