WhatsApp rolls out communities feature to connect groups

WhatsApp, the leading instant messaging app, has launched its communities feature, which allows users to create and bring relevant groups together under one cover.

Members may use this feature to get updates delivered to the whole community as well as establish smaller groups to discuss issues that are important to them.

How to use the feature: To get started, Android users should tap on the new communities tab at the top of their WhatApp and at the bottom on iOS. From there, start a new Community from scratch or add existing groups. Once you’re in a community, you can easily switch between available groups to get the information you need and when you need it. Group admins can send important updates to everyone in the Community. 

Aim of Communities: While announcing the new feature which is now being rolled out globally, WhatsApp said its aim is ‘to raise the bar for how organisations communicate’ by introducing high-level security and privacy. The company said:

• “The alternatives available today require trusting apps or software companies with a copy of their messages – and we think they deserve the higher level of security provided by end-to-end encryption. 
• “Today we’re also releasing three more features we think users will be excited about: the ability to create in-chat polls, 32-person video calls, and groups with up to 1024 users. Just like emoji reactions, larger file sharing, and admin deletion, these features can be used in any group but will be particularly helpful for Communities. 
• “We’ve been working with over 50 organizations in 15 countries to build Communities to meet their needs. We’re excited that the feedback we’ve heard so far is these new tools are helping groups like these better organize and achieve their goals. There’s a lot more we plan to build and we’ll keep adding features over the coming months. For now, we’re excited to get this into more people’s hands and hear your feedback too.”