Olivia Rodrigo, Mark Zuckerberg, and the MLB now have their own Channels as well. | Image: WhatsApp
WhatsApp is rolling out its new Channels feature to more users. The Meta-owned messaging app announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding the one-to-many broadcasting feature to over 150 countries.
While WhatsApp first introduced Channels in June, it was only available to select organizations in Colombia and Singapore. Just like on the messaging app Telegram, WhatsApp’s Channels feature lets you receive updates from creators, organizations, and brands — including The Verge, and you can subscribe to our channel by clicking here — from a single channel. Instagram rolled out a similar feature earlier this year called broadcast channels.
Image: Meta
WhatsApp Channels preview from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Along with the wider rollout, WhatsApp also announced a few new enhancements coming to the feature. That includes an improved directory that lets you filter channels based on countries, while also allowing you to sort through channels that are new, most active, and popular. You can also now use emoji to react to posts within channels. Meanwhile, the admins who run channels will now be able to edit their updates for up to 30 days before the platform deletes the post from its servers.
The messaging app is also welcoming “thousands” of new channels to the platform, including those run by Olivia Rodrigo, the MLB, and Mark Zuckerberg. WhatsApp says it will continue to add more features to Channels as it receives feedback from users. The platform also notes that it will make it possible for anyone to create a channel “over the coming months.” If you don’t see the Channels feature on your app just yet, WhatsApp notes that you can join its waitlist on mobile to get notified when it’s available.
Update September 13th, 9:46AM ET: Added screenshot and a link to The Verge WhatsApp Channel.
