Whatsapp has introduced communities and also introduces four new features in group chats. All information here.
In the coming weeks Whatsapp will be
four new features
present, which should serve as the basis for a more far-reaching innovation: the launch of
Whatsapp communities.
Before the launch of Whatsapp Communities, Whatsapp introduces several new features in group chats. These should create the foundation for communities and allow users to better share content and avoid a potential flood of group chats with messages. According to Whatsapp, the following features will be available in the coming weeks:
-
Reactions:
Users can react to messages with emojis to express their opinion about a chat message in a very short way without having to compose a new chat message.
-
Deletion by administrator:
Group admins have the ability to remove irrelevant or problematic messages in group chats, making them no longer visible to all users.
-
Share files:
In the future, files up to 2 GB in size will be able to be shared through group chats. This should, among other things, facilitate joint work on projects.
-
Larger groups on voice calls:
It is not always possible to clarify everything in writing with chat messages. A voice chat is often helpful. Whatsapp increases the number of users who can participate in a voice call of this type at the same time up to 32 participants. There is also a completely redesigned interface for voice calls.
The first reports about the introduction of Whatsapp communities were already in November 2021, when in the source code
relevant clues found
had been. Multiple group chats will be combined into one community through Whatsapp communities and group admins should be able to manage groups more easily.
In
a blog post
Whatsapp now officially comments on these “Whatsapp communities” and explains:
“They will make it possible to bring together different groups on WhatsApp under one roof and organize them in a meaningful way. Members will receive information that is sent to the entire community and can open smaller discussion groups on their own topics.”
All messages exchanged in these communities are protected by end-to-end encryption, so members of a community can be sure that their messages cannot be read by strangers.
There will also be comprehensive management functions for communities. Like sending announcements to all members and controlling which groups can be included in a community. These features are intended to make it easier for school administrators, for example, to provide important information to parents and to set up groups for special courses, extracurricular activities, or volunteers.
In the blog post, Whatsapp also looks at the competition. That’s why it says there:
“While other apps allow chats with tens of thousands of participants, we focus on supporting the groups that are part of our daily lives.”
Whatsapp does not disclose when WhatsApp communities can start. We are still at the beginning and creating the new features required for them will be a focus of work in the coming year.
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