WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. It allows you to send text messages, voice messages, photos, videos, documents, and more to your contacts and groups. But did you know that WhatsApp also has a feature called Channels?
WhatsApp Channels are a new way to follow what matters to you on WhatsApp. They are one-way broadcasts from people and organizations that you can subscribe to and receive updates on topics like hobbies, sports, news, health, and more.
You can find channels in a new tab called Updates, where you can also see your friends’ status updates.
Unlike groups or chats, channels are not end-to-end encrypted by default and they don’t reveal your phone number or profile photo to the admins or other followers. You can choose which channels to follow from a searchable directory or from invite links that you may find online or in chats. You can also unfollow a channel anytime you want.
Some of the channels that are available right now include FC Barcelona, Manchester City, International Rescue Committee, World Health Organization, and many more . You can also create your own channel if you have something interesting to share with the world.
How to Set Up WhatsApp Channels
To set up a channel, you need to follow these steps.
- Go to Settings > Channels > Create Channel.
You can then choose a name, a description, a category, and an icon for your channel. You can also decide whether you want your channel to be public or private, and whether you want to allow screenshots and forwards from your channel. Once you create your channel, you can start sending text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to your followers.
Availability
Channels are currently available in Colombia and Singapore, but WhatsApp plans to roll out the feature to more countries and users in the coming months. They also hope to support admins with payment services and promotion options in the future.
I think Channels are a great addition to WhatsApp and I’m looking forward to following some of them. What about you? Do you like the idea of Channels? Which ones would you follow or create?
