WhatsApp Is Introducing Channels, A Way to Follow Your Favourite Sports Teams And More

WhatsApp is going to be introducing Channels, which is a simple yet useful way to receive important information from people and organisations. It will be available within the messaging app, within a tab called Updates. Here, you’ll find Status and channels you choose to follow. It’s kept separate from your regular chats with friends and family members.

The company claims that Channels is a one-way broadcasting tool that admins of said Channels can use to send their followers text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls. WhatsApp is also building a searchable directory that can be used to choose who to follow such as hobbies, sports teams, updates from local officials and more.

Channels can also be accessed by links sent via chats, e-mails or posted online. That said, the new feature is being built with privacy in mind and as such it will protect the personal information of both admins and followers. The former’s phone number and profile photo will not be made available to the latter or vice versa.

Whoever you decide to follow is kept private and your phone number won’t be accessible by the channel admins or their followers. WhatsApp says that Channel history will be kept on its servers for up to 30 days. It is also working on ways to make updates disappear faster from followers’ devices.

Admins will have the option to block screenshots and forwards from their channel. The messaging service is also going to make it possible for admins to decide who can follow their channel and whether they want said channel to be discoverable in the directory or not.

As of this moment, Channels will not have end-to-end encryption by default. But the company does acknowledge instances where such a feature could be useful especially when used by non-profit or health organisations. As such, it could be made available in the future.

WhatsApp’s Channel feature will initially be implemented in Colombia and Singapore. In the coming months it should roll out to more countries around the world. The company claims that the limited accessibility of Channels for the moment will allow them to “build, learn and adapt the experience”.

Commerce may eventually play a big part in the Channels platform. WhatsApp says it is looking for ways to help admins build a business around their channels by using the platform’s expanding payment services. Said admins can also pay to promote their channels in the directory in the hopes of increasing the chances of being discovered.

Channels is seen as a big step for the company in expanding the usefulness of WhatsApp. That said, it wants to assure users that at its core, the messaging service will continue to prioritize private messaging among friends, family, and communities.