WhatsApp has launched Channels
Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced the launch of WhatsApp Channels in India and more than 150 other countries. And within hours of its India launch, big stars like Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Diljit Dosanjh have already joined the service.
But what is it really? In simple words, WhatsApp Channels will deliver private updates from organizations, sports teams, artists, and thought leaders that you can follow. But isn’t that like Twitter? Sorry, X?
Well, not really. WhatsApp Channels is a one-way broadcast tool within the app.
“Excited to introduce you all to WhatsApp Channels, a new private way for you to get updates from people and organizations you follow. I’m starting this channel to share Meta news and updates. Looking forward to connecting with you all around the world,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.
One can find Channels in the new ‘Updates’ tab.
The company has said it is WhatsApp’s goal to build “the most private broadcast service available”.
If you follow a channel, other followers of that channel won’t get to know about it.
“We also protect the personal information of both admins and followers,” the statement said.
In the coming days, as Channels reach more countries, the messaging service will roll out an update to include an enhanced directory where users can find channels to follow that are filtered according to their country.
Users can also look for their preferred Channels by searching through categories of new, most active, and popular based on the number of followers.
It appears Meta has used a few tricks from its other services like Facebook and Instagram to make WhatsApp more interactive. The emoji reaction has also spilled over to Channels from chats.
Users can react to any post using emojis and also see a count of total reactions.
The admins of a channel will be able to make changes to their Updates for up to 30 days before they are automatically deleted by the app.
The company also said that it will be adding more features in the coming days. It will also allow anyone to create a channel.
Apart from Kaif, Dosanjh and Akshay Kumar, Vijay Deverakonda, Neha Kakkar, and Sunny Leone have also joined WhatsApp Channels.
The Indian Cricket Team, Mumbai Indians, Netflix, FC Barcelona, and Man City are some of the other big organizations that have joined the Channels.
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