WhatsApp announces new Channels feature: What are WhatsApp Channels?

WhatsApp’s newest feature brings a very different type of messaging to the world’s most popular chat app. Although WhatsApp Channels is seen as the most Facebook-like thing to come to the chat application, it will take its place in the application as a useful feature in different scenarios. So what are WhatsApp Channels?

What are WhatsApp Channels?

WhatsApp Channels, like apps like Twitter, allow accounts to send one-way posts to their followers in the form of “text, photo, video, stickers and polls”. According to WhatsApp, the feature is “a private way to keep track of what matters”. The Channels feature will be available in a new tab called Updates. The newly created directory will include your hobbies, sports teams you follow, updates from local authorities and more.

Streaming accounts will be able to decide who can follow their channel, whether they want it to be discoverable, and more. Also, when you follow a channel, your personal phone number will not be shown to the manager of that channel or other people.

For creators who plan to use this feature, WhatsApp will eventually add payment services to earn money. The company says privacy is also important. Like the channel’s followers, the manager’s phone number or other information will not be shown or shared. Admins will also be able to prevent followers from taking screenshots or forwarding messages. Channels are not end-to-end encrypted, but WhatsApp says they are working on it for nonprofits, healthcare organizations or other privacy-sensitive organizations.

When will WhatsApp Channels be released?

Channels is more or less a copy of a similar feature in the rival chat app of the same name, Telegram. Earlier this year, Meta launched Post Channels on Instagram, allowing creators to post updates to their followers’ inboxes just as WhatsApp users can.

WhatsApp Channels is not yet available globally. The feature will be rolled out first to leading global names and select organizations in Colombia and Singapore. The channels will be made available to more countries and users in the coming months.