WhatsApp to Add New “Twitter-like” Channels Feature

WhatsApp’s platform is always being improved as new features are added. Not long ago, the communications platform included features that bring social media to your messaging app.

WhatsApp has announced the addition of a new feature that will allow users to receive updates from some of their favourite brands and institutions that are not in their personal contacts.

The new feature will be in a new section of the app called “updates”, the new update will work similarly to the news feeds on other social media platforms like Twitter.

Meta said the feature ‘Channels’ will be a “one-way broadcast tool for admins to send text, photos, videos, stickers and polls.” 

Users will be able to search and pick channels to follow from institutions like sports teams, hobbies or local authorities.

Meta said among those who signed up are World Health Organization and Premier League winner Manchester City­­––and eventually anyone will be able to make their own channel.

In a video, WhatsApp classified it as “a private way to follow all topics you care about.” 

Meta said, “Channels will aspire to be the most private broadcast messaging product available and will come with the strong privacy protections people expect from WhatsApp.”

“We also believe there is an opportunity to support admins with a way for them to build a business around their channel using our expanding payment services as well as the ability to promote certain channels in the directory to help increase awareness.”

Posts from channels may include images, videos, text, and polls and will appear in the new update tab alongside status updates.