Last updated: September 14th, 2023 at 07:45 UTC+02:00
After Telegram pushed the Channels feature to its users, its main rival, WhatsApp, is now rolling out the Channels feature in 150 countries. Using WhatsApp Channels, users can share updates or information with many other users on WhatsApp. Users can also search for a specific channel using the directory and react to the messages sent by the channel owner.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout of WhatsApp Channels in his own channel. Users can join the official WhatsApp Channel to learn about the latest updates on the platform. WhatsApp users can filter the channels in the directory and join the ones with the most followers, the most active, and more.
Do note that WhatsApp users can join a channel only with a valid invite link. The phone number of the channel owner will not be shared to protect user privacy.
WhatsApp Channel members can react to a message using emojis
Messages sent via WhatsApp Channels will be available for 30 days. Channel members can react to the shared messages but cannot respond to them. Moreover, messages that are broadcast in the channel aren’t end-to-end protected. To promote this feature, WhatsApp has collaborated with celebrities who already have a channel on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp has gained more features that allow users to react using emojis. The platform, however, won’t show you reactions from other followers, but others can see the number and type of reactions. The WhatsApp Channels feature is rolling out gradually and will be available to everyone in the coming months.