WhatsApp Channels to Get New Features Like Polls Voice Notes

A new tool is about to be available for WhatsApp channel. WhatsApp Channels is a broadcasting feature that allows celebrities and organizations to update their followers on the messaging platform. The channel will soon have a polling feature, voice notes and the ability to share channel updates on status. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new channels feature on his WhatsApp channel on Wednesday, showing off the new polling function to his followers. WhatsApp launched the Channels feature last year, which works as a one-way broadcasting tool. The channels aim to engage more people with WhatsApp with updates from sports teams, organizations and celebrities.

The new update will increase engagement in the channel, allowing channel admins to send polls to members. Polls have been available on WhatsApp for some time now on general and group chats. Channel admins will now also be able to send updates in the form of voice notes, allowing them to connect with users in a more direct way. Apart from this, WhatsApp channel updates can now also be shared on status. This can be done by long pressing the channel update that the user wants to share. For this, first select 'Forward' and then select 'My Status'. The new update also has the facility to add more than one administrator for a particular channel.

Channels typically serve as a one-way communication tool. Now the channel has received updates since its launch through which the company wants to bring more engagement and interactivity. WhatsApp Channels reportedly released a beta update in November 2023 that lets channel admins share stickers with their followers. In the same month, the platform was also seen working on a poll sharing feature on the channel for the first time.

WhatsApp started the channel feature in June last year. During the launch, Meta described it as “a more private, simple and reliable way to get important updates from people and organizations right within WhatsApp.” The broadcasting tool was later launched in September in 150 countries including India, adding support for directory search and reactions. Meta also partnered with sports teams like the Indian cricket team and celebrities like Diljit Dosanjh and Katrina Kaif to create channels for regular updates on the app. Channels have proven to be a popular feature on WhatsApp in a very short time. According to WhatsApp, more than 2 billion people use the messaging service globally. On the other hand, WhatsApp channel had crossed 500 million active users within the first 7 weeks of its launch.