WhatsApp to Expand Broadcasting Capabilities With Telegram-Like ‘Channels’ Feature

Meta has been hard at work to bring a variety of new features to WhatsApp, such as audio chats, newsletters, companion mode, and the capability to lock chats. Now the messaging application is brewing a "Channels" feature that is similar to Telegram's, which increases the capabilities of the instant messaging application to broadcast messages to a wider audience.

WhatsApp Working on "Channels" Feature

The information comes from reliable WhatsApp tipster WABetaInfo, which claims that the upcoming feature will primarily function as a broadcasting tool and that it can be created on a variety of topics. WhatsApp users who are interested in a specific topic can subscribe to that channel and receive updates on that topic.

WABetaInfo adds that because Channels will operate on a public level, they will not be end-to-end encrypted. It will, however, have no effect on WhatsApp chats' end-to-end encryption.

This feature is also available in Telegram, and I've subscribed to the Google Channel there to stay up to date on all the latest news and developments at the tech giant.

Instagram recently released the Channels feature, and given that WhatsApp will soon follow suit, the Channels are likely to be restricted to admins and those they invite. Users can, however, respond and vote in polls in Channels.

According to the screenshot, Channels will be found on WhatsApp under the 'Status' tab. You will be able to search for different Channels as well as find all of the ones to which you have subscribed. This tab will be renamed 'Updates' and will thus house both status updates and broadcasting channels.

When Will the Feature Release?

Channels is still in development, and there's no word on when it will be available to users. It's also not available to beta users, indicating that the feature is still in its early stages. This new feature is being developed for both Android and iOS.