By Omotayo Bamgbose

Effective communication is now paramount for businesses and organizations to connect with their audience. To diversify the methods of interacting with users, WhatsApp introduced Channels to help brands and communities reach out to more people at once. Now, you can effortlessly deliver captivating content like text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to a vast audience.

In June 2023, WhatsApp, owned by Meta, announced a Channels feature. Channels is a simple, reliable, and private way to receive vital updates from people and organizations, within WhatsApp. It can be found in a tab called Updates – here, you’ll find Status and channels you choose to follow – separate from your chats with family, friends, and communities.

Channels are a one-way broadcast tool for admins to send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls. To help select channels to follow, there is a searchable directory where you can find your hobbies, sports teams, and updates from local officials, and more. You can also get into a channel from invite links sent in chats, e-mail, or online.

The Channels feature lives in a separate tab on the app, and others won’t be able to see the channels you follow. Additionally, personal information of your account such as your phone number won’t be visible to admins or followers.

While the primary feature of a channel remains one-to-many communication through broadcast messages, the company is adding new interactions, such as the ability to react with emojis. Users will be able to see the total count of reactions under the message.

In a statement, Meta said: “our goal is to build the most private broadcast service available. Channels are separate from your chats, and who you choose to follow is not visible to other followers. We also protect the personal information of both admins and followers.”

WhatsApp channels initially started in ten countries and are expanding globally. Meta said it will continue to add more features and expand Channels based on feedback gotten from users. Over the last year, WhatsApp has experimented with features catering to different sizes of groups. Last November, the company launched Communities to facilitate multi group communication for places like schools, resident complexes or clubs.

How to create a WhatsApp Channel:

Android:

– Open WhatsApp: Navigate to the ‘Updates’ tab.

– Create: Tap the menu icon, and select ‘New channel.’

– Get Started: Follow the onscreen prompts.

– Name & Customize: Add a name for your channel. Optional customization includes adding a description and an icon.

iPhone:

– Open WhatsApp: Go to the ‘Updates’ tab.

– Create: Tap the menu icon, and choose ‘Create Channel.’

– Get Started: Continue with the onscreen instructions.

How to find and follow a WhatsApp Channel

To explore an extensive WhatsApp Channel list, tap on the Updates tab, then select the Plus icon and choose “Find channels”. Verified channels are marked with a green check, assuring their authenticity as verified by WhatsApp.

You can preview the WhatsApp Business Channels before following. Yes, by simply tapping on the channel name to see recent updates. For more details, visit the channel info page by tapping on the channel name or selecting “more” and then “channel info.”

You can also follow WhatsApp Business Channels directly from their channel info page or while previewing their content by tapping the Follow button. Also, you can click on the WhatsApp Channel and tap on the notification bell icon to receive notifications for their updates.

How Many WhatsApp Channels Can You Create?

You can only create one WhatsApp Channel per phone number, and the verified channels will have a green tick next to their name. Moreover, you can disable screenshots or message forwarding within your Channel on WhatsApp.

You may want to ask who Can Send Messages in a Channel.

Only admins have the right to send messages in a Channel. The admin may also be able to edit the messages. These messages and media will be available for up to 30 days and will be automatically deleted after this duration.

Additionally, members can report channels for sharing any content they feel is illegal or inappropriate. Violation can lead to action against the Channel and the Channel admin by Meta.

What to do when you can’t find the new feature

The new WhatsApp Channels feature is now available in most countries worldwide, it is still in the roll-out phase. This means that there might be users who still can’t see this option on their devices. If this is the case, here are a few potential solutions that might help you get Channels on your WhatsApp.

Update the WhatsApp App.

Clear WhatsApp Cache.

Wait for the app to be available.