Mark Zuckerberg has shared that we have begun rolling out WhatsApp Channels globally. It’s a private way for people to receive updates that matter to them. This includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
Global expansion
- Mark has launched his WhatsApp Channel where he’ll share Meta news and product updates: https://www.whatsapp.com/zuck
- Channels is welcoming thousands of new partners including Olivia Rodrigo, Netflix, David Guetta, Billboard, MLB, and more. People can start to follow them right within WhatsApp.
Channels is a one-way broadcast feature that allows admins to send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to their followers. Channels will be discoverable via a searchable directory. You can also get to a channel from invite links sent in chats, e-mail, or posted online.
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Key Features
- Privacy: Channels aspires to build the most private broadcast service available. As a channel admin, your phone number and profile photo won’t be shown to followers. Likewise, following a channel won’t reveal your phone number to the admin or other followers. Who you decide to follow is your choice and it’s private.
- Prioritizing user preference: Admins will not be able to add followers to their channel.
- Control for admins: Admins can decide who can follow their channel and whether they want their channel to be discoverable in the directory or not.
- Separate to your main chat: WhatsApp Channels will appear in a new tab called Updates – where you’ll find Status and channels you choose to follow – separate from your chats with family, friends, and communities. You can now search the directory to find Channels that interest you and follow sports teams, updates from local officials, and more.
- Relevance: channel history will only be stored on our servers for 30 days, and we’ll add ways to make updates disappear even faster from follower’s devices.
Moon Baz, Creator Partnerships Lead, Africa, Middle East and Turkey at Meta, said: “WhatsApp Channels aspires to be the most private broadcast service available, helping users receive updates from the organizations and people that are important to them in a reliable, safe and private way.”
Regional businesses, government entities and media outlets have already activated Channels to expand their reach.
Channels is set to make its debut in the UAE and KSA this week, and the product will gradually roll out to all users in both countries over the coming days.
Find more about WhatsApp Channels here.
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