Big WhatsApp groups update around the corner
WhatsApp has started rolling out its new Communities group feature to users of its Android beta app, WABetaInfo reports.
The upcoming overhaul of the app’s groups was first reported in October 2021, with various pieces of code and in-development screenshots of the feature posted online since then.
WhatsApp confirmed the Communities update alongside several significant changes to groups in April 2022 but did not provide a launch date for the former.
The first release of Communities on WhatsApp beta for Android 2.22.19.3 suggests the company is in its final testing stages before launching it on the official app.
Communities will allow group admins to create one large, overarching group with multiple sub-groups for different topics or interest groups.
For example, users will be able to create one big school group with sub-groups for each grade or extracurricular activity.
Admins can then also send announcements to the entire group to reach all users.
The screenshot below from WABetaInfo shows that the Communities section of the app will get its own dedicated app next to “Chats”, replacing the camera shortcut.
The addition of Communities will give WhatsApp similar functionality to Telegram’s Channels.
The latter has been popular with large community groups who want to communicate on various topics, including neighbourhood watches, events, and general socialising.
WhatsApp’s previous announcement of Communities explained it would include the following features:
- Conversations in Communities remain end-to-end encrypted.
- Phone numbers will be visible to Community admins.
- Your phone number will become visible to members of the same groups as you but otherwise remain hidden.
- Admins can add existing groups to the Community and unlink groups.
- Admins can remove individual members from the Community entirely.
- Group admins can delete inappropriate or abusive chats and media for all group members.
- Users can control who is allowed to add them to a Community.
- Communities will be private. No search or discovery option like Telegram.
Now read: More than a third of iPhone users want to switch to Android — Study
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