WhatsApp Community Feature: What is it and how it will work? All you need to know

WhatsApp Communities was first spotted by WABetaInfo in the first week of November 2021. The new feature will allow WhatsApp users to combine multiple WhatsApp groups into one group that can be controlled by an admin. It will help WhatsApp users to create a community of users that wish to communicate or exchange their thoughts regarding a common topic. The feature is said to roll out for iOS users first, followed by Android users. It is important to note that such a feature is already present on other messaging platforms such as Telegram and Discord. 

Attached below is a screenshot of the WhatsApp Communities feature as given in the report. It can clearly be seen that the Community icon is rounded in the edges and follows a square-like design. It differentiates the communities from WhatsApp Groups and chats that are circular in shape. Additionally, the share link icon can also be seen in the image given below, which will allow admins to share invitations with the community. Users will also be able to scan a QR code to be a part of a community. Further, there is a reset link button as well, which might be used in a scenario when unwanted people are entering the community. 

What is WhatsApp Community Feature?

WhatsApp Community feature will allow multiple WhatsApp groups to be included in a larger group called a Community. While creating a WhatsApp Community, users will be able to give it a name and a description. After creating the community, users can either link existing WhatsApp groups or create new WhatsApp groups to link to them. The WhatsApp Community feature will also include an announcement section that can only be accessed by the admins of the group. The feature can be used to send a message to all the groups included in a WhatsApp Community. 

The WhatsApp Community feature will help the instant messaging platform to compete with other community-friendly platforms including Telegram and Discord. A feature called Channel is already present on Telegram and it allows users to communicate with up to two lakh people at once. There is no restriction on the type of messages that can be sent. Supported formats include photos, videos, and files such as doc, zip, mp3 and more. While the number of participants in a Telegram channel is huge, the maximum number of participants that will be allowed in a WhatsApp Community is not clear yet. 

(Images: WABetaInfo)