WhatsApp is rolling out a new Channels feature that lets users follow news feeds from businesses, charitable organizations and sports teams.
Channels will essentially function as a means for accounts to send messages to their entire base of followers, similar to a feature that currently exists on another Meta offering, Instagram.
Users will be able to find Channels using a search directory that WhatsApp is building, according to reports.
The feature debuted Thursday n Singapore and Colombia, with a global rollout expected to follow. The first available Channles are information-based news feeds in the countries, but soccer clubs FC Barcelona and Manchester City wil be online soon.
At some point, any WhatsApp user will be able to make a Channel, the company said.
In terms of security, Channels won’t offer the same end-to-end encryption as regular chats, but they will keep personal information like phone numbers and profile photos private.
That’s less encryption than WhatApp’s previous addition, a group chat feature called Communities that launched in November. Communities functioned more like Discord but with added encryption.
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