Last month, WhatsApp introduced its new Channels feature in select countries such as Colombia and Singapore. Now, the Meta-owned app has announced the rollout of the feature right here in Malaysia, with several local organisations already having access to it.
With the new feature being released, there is also a slight change to the WhatsApp app. Those who have gotten it may notice that the “Status” tab has been changed into a new “Updates” tab, where you will find both status updates as well as the channels you follow.
Those of you who use Telegram will already be somewhat familiar with channels, which is a one-way private broadcast tool for people or organisations to post updates and content through a chronological thread. You can browse a channel before deciding whether or not to join and by default, all channels you follow are muted unless you manually turn on notifications.
For privacy, users other than channel admins can’t see who is following a channel and as for admins themselves, they can only see your name and profile picture, but they do not have access to your number. Moreover, WhatsApp says that a channel’s history is only stored for 30 days before being deleted.
Some of the local organisations that have gotten early access include the Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Of course, Lowyat.net has also gotten the opportunity to create a channel, so you can click on this link to follow us and get updates on our content.
(Source: Meta Press Release)
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