Mark Zuckerberg announces the launch of WhatsApp Channels

WhatsApp Channels are a one-way broadcast tool and deliver a private way to receive updates from people and organisations that matter to you within WhatsApp.

Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of WhatsApp Channels in India and over 150 countries. Channels deliver a private way to receive updates that matter to you from your favourite organisations and people.

Mark Zuckerberg, announced the news on his WhatsApp Channel and says, “Excited to introduce you all to WhatsApp Channels, a new private way for you to get updates from people and organizations you follow. I'm starting this channel to share Meta news and updates. Looking forward to connecting with you all around the world.”

The Indian Cricket team, Katrina Kaif, Diljit Dosanjh, Akshay Kumar, Vijay Deverakonda, Neha Kakkar and many more have launched their WhatsApp Channels.

Launching the official Indian Cricket Team WhatsApp Channel, BCCI, says, “The Indian Cricket team is thrilled to partner with WhatsApp on the launch of Channels. We kick-off our partnership with WhatsApp with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which is set to begin in October. We will leverage Channels to generate excitement and support as India gets ready to host the marquee event after a decade-long wait. With WhatsApp Channels, fans will be aware of important and accurate information and news around match schedules, timings, scorecards etc. Get on WhatsApp channels and never miss out on updates from on and off the field.”

Commenting on the launch of WhatsApp Channels, actress and entrepreneur, Katrina Kaif, says, “I am delighted to collaborate with WhatsApp for the launch of WhatsApp Channels. This platform provides me with an exciting opportunity to connect with those who are interested in various aspects of my life, be it my work in the film industry or my ventures in the business world, all of which I am deeply passionate about. WhatsApp Channels serves as a personalized newsletter through which I can share insights and updates with my dedicated audience, fans, and all those who have consistently shown their support throughout my journey.” 

With Channels, WhatsApp’s 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.

Channels can be found in a new tab called Updates - where you’ll find Status and channels you choose to follow. As Channels expand globally, they introducing the following updates:

Enhanced Directory - you can now find channels to follow that are automatically filtered based on your country. You can also view channels that are new, most active, and popular based on number of followers.

Reactions - you can react using emojis to give feedback and see a count of total reactions. How you react will not be shown to followers. 

Editing - soon, admins will be able to make changes to their Updates for up to 30 days, when we automatically delete them from our servers. 

Forwarding - whenever you forward an Update to chats or groups it will include a link back to the channel so people can find out more.                                          

WhatsApp Channels are rolling out globally over the next few weeks. The company says, "This is just the beginning, and we’ll continue to add more features and expand Channels based on feedback we get from users. Over the coming months, we’ll also make it possible for anyone to create a channel."