The Meta-owned WhatsApp is planning to include a new Telegram-like feature. The company is currently developing a feature called WhatsApp Channels that is said to allow users to broadcast content on the platform. The functionality is apparently being provided to the WhatsApp beta for iOS. The feature is likely to become available soon. However, the company is likely to release read-only channels. In case you didn’t know, Instagram has recently received the Channels feature.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, WhatsApp Channels, a feature similar to Telegram is under development. This feature was first made available to Android beta users earlier this year. But now the functionality has been discovered by WABetaInfo in the most recent WhatsApp beta update for iOS users, version 2.23.8.75 available on the TestFlight app.
Reportedly the WhatsApp Channels will share space with the Status tab allowing users to identify or find new channels in the Find Channels button. However, this feature will not display participants’ names as well as their phone numbers.
According to a shared screenshot, WhatsApp intends to rename the Status page to “Updates” because the app’s channels will also be shown here. A WhatsApp Channel is a private platform where joining users’ phone numbers and other personal information is always kept secret. Although the messages received within a channel are not end-to-end encrypted. It should be noted that channels won’t have an impact on private messaging’s continued end-to-end encryption. People always have freedom over which channels they wish to subscribe to, and no one else can see whom they follow, regardless of whether they have added them as contacts or not.
Also Read: WhatsApp Kept Messages feature to save disappearing messages announced
Note that, since there are no algorithmic recommendations or social graphs promoting content that viewers didn’t choose to see, people won’t automatically subscribe to channels.
Users will be able to search for a certain WhatsApp channel by just entering their username within WhatsApp, which is claimed to support handles as well. This function is intended to increase the channels’ usability by making it simpler for users to access the updates they want.
WhatApp Channels are currently being developed and will be made available in a future WhatsApp update. So stay tuned to Gadget Bridge for more information related to WhatsApp features.
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