WhatsApp Unveils Channels: A Fresh Approach to Celebrity Followings – Here's How to Get Started
Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2023 3:21 pm
Apart from its conventional use for communication with businesses, WhatsApp has primarily served as a means of staying in touch with familiar individuals like family members and colleagues. However, the platform is now expanding its horizons with its latest update.
WhatsApp's most recent update brings forth a novel feature that allows users to track updates from individuals and organizations that hold significance for them, all within the app itself. Termed "WhatsApp Channels," this feature operates as a unidirectional broadcasting tool, delivering updates in a dedicated tab known as "Updates." This tab is distinct from your regular chat conversations with friends, family, and community groups.
The rollout of Channels will occur worldwide in the coming weeks and will be accessible in more than 150 countries, including India. Discovering channels to follow has been made convenient, with automatic filtering based on your location and the option to search for channels by name or category. Moreover, users can explore channels that are new, highly active, or popular based on their follower count.
Several prominent celebrities, sports teams, artists, influential figures, and organizations, both from India and across the globe, have already established their presence on WhatsApp for your convenience. For instance, you can opt to follow esteemed entities like the Indian Cricket team, notable personalities such as Katrina Kaif, Diljit Dosanjh, Akshay Kumar, Vijay Deverakonda, Neha Kakkar, and numerous others hailing from India. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to stay connected with Mark Zuckerberg, who has initiated his WhatsApp Channel, dedicated to providing updates about Facebook and WhatsApp products.
WhatsApp Channels have been meticulously designed to provide the utmost privacy within a broadcasting service, as per the platform's intentions. When you choose to follow a channel, rest assured that your phone number and profile photo will remain concealed from the channel's administrator and fellow followers. Conversely, your decision to follow a channel will not expose your phone number to the channel's administrator. The power to select whom to follow remains entirely at your discretion, and this information is kept confidential.
Additionally, it's worth noting that the channel's history will be retained for a limited period of 30 days, ensuring that your interactions and engagements are maintained with discretion and within a defined time frame. Furthermore, WhatsApp Channels offer an interactive experience by allowing users to express their reactions to updates using emojis. The total count of reactions is visible, ensuring a collective but private engagement. It's important to note that your specific reaction will remain confidential and won't be displayed to other followers.
Sharing interesting updates with your contacts is made effortless, as you can forward them to individual chats or groups. These forwarded updates include a link back to the channel, making it easy for others to explore further. If, at any point, you wish to discontinue following a channel, you have the option to either mute or unsubscribe from it, providing you with control over your subscription preferences.
For administrators, the process of creating a channel is straightforward, whether utilizing an existing WhatsApp account or a new one. Admins can also make updates and edits to their channel content within a 30-day window, after which these updates will be automatically deleted from WhatsApp servers, ensuring content remains up-to-date and relevant.
Using WhatsApp Channels is a simple process, and here are the step-by-step instructions to get started:
1. **Update Your WhatsApp App**: Ensure that your WhatsApp application is up to date by downloading the latest version from either the Google Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS).
2. **Access the Updates Tab**: Open WhatsApp on your device and navigate to the Updates tab, which is located at the bottom of the screen. This tab is where you'll find a list of available channels that you can follow.
3. **Follow a Channel**:
- To follow a specific channel, tap the '+' button located next to the channel's name. This action will add the channel to your list of followed channels.
- If you want to learn more about a channel before following it, tap on the channel's name to view its profile and description. This can help you make an informed decision about whether to follow it.
4. **React to Channel Updates**:
- To add a reaction to a particular update from a channel, press and hold on the message containing the update. This action allows you to express your response using emojis or other reactions.
By following these steps, you can easily start using WhatsApp Channels to stay informed, engage with content, and enjoy a more personalized experience within the app.
WhatsApp's most recent update brings forth a novel feature that allows users to track updates from individuals and organizations that hold significance for them, all within the app itself. Termed "WhatsApp Channels," this feature operates as a unidirectional broadcasting tool, delivering updates in a dedicated tab known as "Updates." This tab is distinct from your regular chat conversations with friends, family, and community groups.
The rollout of Channels will occur worldwide in the coming weeks and will be accessible in more than 150 countries, including India. Discovering channels to follow has been made convenient, with automatic filtering based on your location and the option to search for channels by name or category. Moreover, users can explore channels that are new, highly active, or popular based on their follower count.
Several prominent celebrities, sports teams, artists, influential figures, and organizations, both from India and across the globe, have already established their presence on WhatsApp for your convenience. For instance, you can opt to follow esteemed entities like the Indian Cricket team, notable personalities such as Katrina Kaif, Diljit Dosanjh, Akshay Kumar, Vijay Deverakonda, Neha Kakkar, and numerous others hailing from India. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to stay connected with Mark Zuckerberg, who has initiated his WhatsApp Channel, dedicated to providing updates about Facebook and WhatsApp products.
WhatsApp Channels have been meticulously designed to provide the utmost privacy within a broadcasting service, as per the platform's intentions. When you choose to follow a channel, rest assured that your phone number and profile photo will remain concealed from the channel's administrator and fellow followers. Conversely, your decision to follow a channel will not expose your phone number to the channel's administrator. The power to select whom to follow remains entirely at your discretion, and this information is kept confidential.
Additionally, it's worth noting that the channel's history will be retained for a limited period of 30 days, ensuring that your interactions and engagements are maintained with discretion and within a defined time frame. Furthermore, WhatsApp Channels offer an interactive experience by allowing users to express their reactions to updates using emojis. The total count of reactions is visible, ensuring a collective but private engagement. It's important to note that your specific reaction will remain confidential and won't be displayed to other followers.
Sharing interesting updates with your contacts is made effortless, as you can forward them to individual chats or groups. These forwarded updates include a link back to the channel, making it easy for others to explore further. If, at any point, you wish to discontinue following a channel, you have the option to either mute or unsubscribe from it, providing you with control over your subscription preferences.
For administrators, the process of creating a channel is straightforward, whether utilizing an existing WhatsApp account or a new one. Admins can also make updates and edits to their channel content within a 30-day window, after which these updates will be automatically deleted from WhatsApp servers, ensuring content remains up-to-date and relevant.
Using WhatsApp Channels is a simple process, and here are the step-by-step instructions to get started:
1. **Update Your WhatsApp App**: Ensure that your WhatsApp application is up to date by downloading the latest version from either the Google Play Store (for Android) or the App Store (for iOS).
2. **Access the Updates Tab**: Open WhatsApp on your device and navigate to the Updates tab, which is located at the bottom of the screen. This tab is where you'll find a list of available channels that you can follow.
3. **Follow a Channel**:
- To follow a specific channel, tap the '+' button located next to the channel's name. This action will add the channel to your list of followed channels.
- If you want to learn more about a channel before following it, tap on the channel's name to view its profile and description. This can help you make an informed decision about whether to follow it.
4. **React to Channel Updates**:
- To add a reaction to a particular update from a channel, press and hold on the message containing the update. This action allows you to express your response using emojis or other reactions.
By following these steps, you can easily start using WhatsApp Channels to stay informed, engage with content, and enjoy a more personalized experience within the app.