WhatsApp Introduces Channels, Just Like Telegram

Now you can subscribe to news, bloggers, and content based on your interests there as well.

WhatsApp has officially introduced channels. They will provide a simple way to follow important news from people and organizations without leaving the messenger.

• Channels will be displayed separately from chats and communities in a new "Current" tab, where the status will also be moved.
• Channel administrators will be able to publish messages, photos, videos, stickers, and polls, while subscribers will only be able to view the content.
• To find the desired channels, WhatsApp will have a special catalog featuring news from local government bodies, sports content, hobbies, and much more.
• You can access the desired channel through the catalog search or via an invitation sent in a chat, email, or published online.
• The phone number and profile picture of the administrator will not be visible to subscribers, and subscribers' phone numbers will be hidden from everyone in the channel, including administrators. No one will see which channels you are subscribed to.
• Administrators will be able to prohibit taking screenshots while viewing the channel and forwarding content from it. They will also have the ability to determine who is allowed to subscribe to their channels.
• Currently, the publication history of the channel will be stored on servers for no more than 30 days. Later, there will be an option for it to be deleted from subscribers' devices even earlier.

Since channels are intended for a broad audience, they are not end-to-end encrypted by default, the developers added.

In the future, WhatsApp plans to give administrators the ability to monetize their channels and promote certain channels in the catalog to attract more attention.

Channels will appear in various countries "in the coming months."