Whatsapp Channels Update’s new feature was introduced in a blog post on 8 June 2023. It will work similarly to broadcast channels on Instagram.
This latest feature will allow an admin to send one-way broadcast messages to followers. These include text, photos, stickers, and polls.
The company says that it will continue to focus on private messaging between friends, families, and communities; channels will enable organizations and businesses to reach wider audiences than before.
WhatsApp Channels Update
This will turn out to be a perfect feature for big organizations such as sports club broadcasts, the feature will eventually allow anyone to create a channel.
Unlike the WhatsApp Communities feature, channels will be discoverable in a directory on WhatsApp. But admins will be able to decide if their channels are discoverable.
Also, channels will not be end-to-end encrypted by default. But the company is exploring this as a future option for smaller organizations such as non-profits.
To protect the privacy of users, their numbers or profile photos will not be displayed in a channel. Similarly, users who follow a channel won’t have their numbers shown to admins and other users.