USA: WhatsApp is developing "Channels." Yes! You got that right. The Meta-owned platform intends to incorporate Telegram-like one-to-many functionality for uses like information broadcasting.
The feature is presently being created. It ought to be included in a subsequent update of the instant messaging programme. We do, however, now have a preview of it thanks to WABetaInfo.
"Channels" were introduced by Telegram to broadcast messages to large audiences. After some time has passed, WhatsApp is preparing to add this tool to its platform.
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Because each post in a channel will result in a notification being sent to the recipient's device alerting them to the new information, channels will present a special opportunity for individuals, allowing them to directly communicate with a large user base.
For the Android app, the Channels feature is already under development. But WhatsApp is also working to make it available on iOS. The new feature can be found in the TestFlight app's beta version of WhatsApp for iOS 23.8.0.75. Users can use channels to get pertinent updates from the sources they want to use for information.
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The Status tab on WhatsApp will now be called "Updates," and this section will include a listing of the new Channels tool. The platform will keep user data and phone numbers secret in a particular channel. The channels' shared messages won't be completely encrypted. For private messaging, however, E2E encryption will still be in use.
Users of WhatsApp will have complete control over the channels they choose to subscribe to. They won't automatically become channel subscribers. Similar to Telegram, Channels will also support handles, enabling users to search for a particular channel by its username and later subscribe to it for future updates. The most efficient channel access will be made possible by usernames.
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The creation of "Channels" is currently ongoing. It is anticipated to be made available in a subsequent WhatsApp beta update for Android and iOS. The tool will be introduced to the stable OS versions after the testing phase is over