Tag: whatsapp channels

WhatsApp Channels Gets Polls, Voice Notes, and Ability to Share Updates on Status

WhatsApp Channels, the broadcasting feature that lets organisations and public personalities send updates to their followers on the messaging platform, is getting a host of new tools. Channels will soon receive a polling feature, voice notes and the ability to share Channel updates to Status. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new Channel features Wednesday on his own WhatsApp Channel, showcasing the new polling function to his followers. WhatsApp rolled out the Channels feature, which works as a one-way broadcasting tool, last year. With regular updates from sports teams, organisations and public figures, Channels is aimed at increasing engagement on the Meta-owned messaging platform.

The new updates aim to bring more engagement to Channels, with Channel admins getting the ability to send out polls to members. Polls have existed for a while now on regular and group chats on WhatsApp. Channel admins will now also be able to send out updates in the form of voice notes, thus engaging the audience in a more direct and personal manner.

Additionally, WhatsApp Channel updates can now also be shared on Status. This can be done by long pressing the Channel update that a user wants to share, selecting ‘Forward,’ and then selecting ‘My Status.’ And finally, the new updates also include the ability to add multiple admins for a particular Channel.

Channels, which primarily serve as a one-way communication tool, has received updates since launch that aim to bring more engagement and interactivity. WhatsApp Channels reportedly rolled out a beta update in November 2023 that allows Channel admins to share Stickers with their followers. The same month, the platform was first seen working on the ability to share polls in Channels.

WhatsApp rolled out the Channels feature initially in June last year, with Meta describing it as “a simple, reliable, and private way to receive important updates from people and organisations, right within WhatsApp” at launch. The broadcasting tool was later rolled out in 150 countries, including India, with support for directory search and reactions in September. Meta also partnered with popular sports teams like the Indian Cricket team and public figures like Diljit Dosanjh and Katrina Kaif to create dedicated Channels providing regular updates on the app.

Channels has grown to become a popular feature in a short time. According to WhatsApp, more than 2 billion people use the messaging service globally. WhatsApp Channels, on the other hand, crossed 500 million monthly active users within the first seven weeks of its launch, Zuckerberg had claimed in a Channels message last year.

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WhatsApp Verified Channel Badge Feature Reportedly in Development: How it Works

WhatsApp is working on allowing businesses to display a verification badge on their channels, according to code spotted on the latest beta version of the app by a feature tracker. The company is changing the way verification marks are displayed on the messaging platform. It is eventually expected to switch over to blue verified check marks — currently used on Instagram and Facebook — from the existing green badges on WhatsApp.

WABetaInfo spotted a new “verified channel” feature on the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.1.18 update that is rolling out to testers who have signed up to receive beta versions of the app on Android. This particular feature is still in development, unlike other features that are currently being tested on the platform. It is expected to roll out to beta testers in the future, before it is rolled out to all users on the stable channel.

A screenshot shared by the feature tracker shows the purported interface for the new verified channel feature. The feature appears to be aimed at WhatsApp Business users and will allow users to show their verified badge on a new channel created for their business. Last year, the company announced that businesses would be able to able to subscribe to the parent firm’s Meta Verified feature and get a verified tick mark on their profile.

Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

 

Interestingly, WABetaInfo’s leaked screenshot shows that adding the verified badge to a channel will immediately replace its existing name and profile picture and start using your verified business details — a preview is also displayed, showing how your channel image, name, and verified badge will look. If you plan to change your channel’s photo, you’ll have to make these changes in your business profile, according to the screenshot.

In order to display a verified check mark, WABetaInfo claims that businesses will need to have a Meta Verified subscription. Individual users and non-business accounts will not be able to add a verified tick mark to channels, according to the feature tracker. While the feature tracker’s record is practically unmatched when it comes to discovering and leaking new WhatsApp features, it is best to take these claims with a pinch of salt, as the company is yet to announce any plans related to verification marks for channels.

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WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart Says Company Could Show Ads, but Not in Main Inbox: Report

WhatsApp could show users ads in some parts of the app, according to the company’s top executive. In a recent interview with a Brazilian publication, WhatsApp Head Will Cathcart confirmed that the messaging platform will not display ads in the main inbox or in chats, but advertisements might be shown in two other sections of the app. The revelation comes two months after the company denied a report that claimed WhatsApp was planning to show users ads to monetise the service.

In an interview with Folha de S. Paulo (in Brazilian) Cathcart stated that WhatsApp would remain ad-free in the app’s inbox and inside chats. “The reason I qualified the answer is that there could be ads in other places —channels or statuses. For example, channels might charge people to subscribe, they might be exclusive to paid members, or the owners might want to promote the channel. But no, we won’t place ads in the Inbox,” the executive told the publication (translated from Brazilian).

There’s no word from the company on when ads will make their way to the Status or Channels sections on the app. The disclosure that WhatsApp could show users ads to users in specific parts of the app comes after Cathcart denied a report in September that the platform was planning to display advertisements in lists of conversations with contacts — the default view when a user opens the app.

This isn’t the first time that WhatsApp has reportedly explored the addition of advertisements to the popular chat application. In 2019, it was reported that WhatsApp was planning on showing ads to users via the Status feature that allows users to share images and videos in a similar as Instagram and Facebook stories. WhatsApp is currently monetised by offering business messaging features that allow companies to reach the app’s massive userbase — the Meta-owned messaging service has over 2 billion users.

A report in August 2020 stated that WhatsApp was planning on showing ads in the app by using phone numbers to match users’ Facebook and WhatsApp accounts and serve users targeted advertisements. At the time, it was reported that the company would display these ads once the planned unification of its three messaging platforms — WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger — was completed. 

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WhatsApp Rolls Out New ‘Channels’ Feature That Lets Organisations Broadcast Updates to Followers

WhatsApp on Thursday began letting select organisations try a new feature called “Channels” that lets them broadcast to followers on the popular, Meta-owned messaging service.

The debut comes as an array of agencies and organisations grow disenchanted with Elon Musk-owned Twitter in the face of fees, performance problems, and dramatically scaled-back content moderation.

Meta described Channels as “a simple, reliable, and private way to receive important updates from people and organizations, right within WhatsApp.”

A video shared by Meta showed the potential for Channels to keep people up to date on race results, soccer match outcomes, weather, and traffic, and even share cooking or home repair tips.

“We think the time is finally right to introduce a simple, reliable, and private broadcast tool,” Meta said in a post.

Meta said WhatsApp’s priority will continue to be private messaging, but that users have been asking for a feature like Channels for years.

WhatsApp is known for encryption that protects against snooping.

More than two billion people around the world use WhatsApp, according to the platform.

Meta said it is exploring the option of making encrypted channels available for groups such as nonprofits or health organisations where that level of security might be needed.

Channels was described as a one-way broadcast tool that lets account administrators sent text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls.

Global launch partners include the International Rescue Committee and the World Health Organisation, as well as the FC Barcelona and Manchester City football clubs, according to Meta.

The Silicon Valley tech titan said it planned to gradually expand availability of Channels in the months ahead.

Apple’s annual developer conference is just around the corner. From the company’s first mixed reality headset to new software updates, we discuss all the things we’re looking forward to seeing at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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