WhatsApp, the chat and instant messenger platform from Meta Platforms Inc. (Nasdaq: FB), announced on April 14, 2022 that it would release another feature, “Communities”.
It’s a major update to the WhatsApp messaging app that will allow users not only to connect privately with friends and family as they have up until now, but also to participate in larger discussion groups known as communities.
These groups are intended to serve as a replacement for larger group chats, with added support for tools like file sharing, 32-person group calls, and emoji reactions, as well as admin tools and moderation controls.
“It’s been clear for some time that the way we communicate online is changing,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post announcing the news.
“Most of us use social networks and feeds to discover interesting content and stay up to date. But for a deeper level of interaction, messaging has become the center of our digital lives. It’s more intimate and private, and with encryption, it’s also more secure,” Zuckerberg said.
Similar to groups, WhatsApp Communities would allow organizations, clubs or schools to create networks where their members can interact and share messages and updates.
The company also says it won’t allow users to search for or discover communities. You must be invited to the groups in order to join them.
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