WhatsApp Communities Feature: Introduction
WhatsApp, the popular instant messaging platform owned by Facebook, has announced the rollout of a new feature called “Communities” that allows users to manage multiple groups in one place. This feature is being introduced in a phased manner and will be available to all users on iOS and Android devices in the coming months.
The Communities feature enables users to connect multiple groups together under one umbrella for easier communication and organization. These groups can be organized into a parent group, known as the community, with connected sub-groups for easier management. This new feature on WhatsApp opens up new possibilities for group administrators, as they can send updates to everyone in the community and have the ability to remove groups or individual members if necessary.
Get Started with WhatsApp Communities Feature
To get started with Communities, users who have received the feature update will see a “Communities” tab at the top of their chats on Android devices or at the bottom on iOS devices. By tapping on this tab, users can either create a new Community from scratch or add existing groups to it. Once in a community, users can switch between available groups to access information and participate in group conversations. At present, users can add up to 50 groups to a community, in addition to a broadcast group that can hold up to 5,000 members.
Anyone can run their own community and invite groups to join, but group administrators will need to accept the invitation in order to be part of the community. As the community administrator, you have the ability to remove groups or individual members from the community if necessary. You also have the power to delete inappropriate or abusive chats or media for all members of a group.
If a user leaves a group, they can still be part of the larger Community and will receive any announcements shared in the central announcements group. The community administrator can use the broadcast group to make announcements to the entire community.
Other New WhatsApp Features
In addition to the Communities feature, WhatsApp has also introduced several other features to help users make the most of this new addition. Earlier, Voice Note in status was updated by WhatsApp.
- Admins can now conduct polls in sub-groups, and calls can be shared with up to 32 people using shareable links.
- WhatsApp has also increased the file-sharing limit to 2GB, allowing users to share larger files with their contacts.
Wrapping Up
Overall, the Communities feature on WhatsApp provides a new and convenient way for users to manage and communicate with multiple groups in one place. This will be especially helpful for group administrators who are responsible for managing large groups of people and need an efficient way to share updates and information.
With the ability to switch between groups and receive announcements from the central announcements group, users will be able to stay up to date on important information even if they leave a group.
Additionally, the ability to conduct polls and share files of up to 2GB in size will make it easier for users to collaborate and share information with their contacts.
