WhatsApp, which has been in the spotlight with its technologies inspired by Telegram and Signal, has announced a new feature that prioritizes privacy. With the WhatsApp Channels feature, users can access the content shared by channels they follow in a separate tab called “Updates,” including the Status tab.

WhatsApp expands its services with the introduction of Channels

Meta accelerated its efforts to raise the competition among messaging applications to a higher level. The company, which announced that it would bring Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp together under one roof in recent months, announced that a new feature called “Channels” will be available for use.

Users will be able to securely and conveniently track important information shared, just like in the Telegram application. The company stated, “In WhatsApp’s Channels feature, all technologies found in the standard message section such as text, photo, video, sticker, and poll can be used. The feature where only channel administrators can write messages will be available soon.”

WhatsApp is also working on a new search feature for Channels to help users discover channels that align with their interests. It should be noted that users can join channels via invitation links.

The company emphasized that privacy would be a priority in the Channels feature and that users’ personal information would not be shared with anyone. The firm also stated that channel administrators would not be able to see personal information, and they would only store the history of channels on their servers for 30 days.

Administrators will have the opportunity to block screenshots and messages coming from their channels. Additionally, administrators will be able to control who can follow their channels and decide whether their channels will appear in searches.

WhatsApp will first launch the Channels feature in Colombia and Singapore. It is expected that this feature will be available for use in more countries in the coming months.