WhatsApp Channels to Get New Features Like Polls Voice Notes

WhatsApp channels are going to get a new tool. WhatsApp Channels is a broadcasting feature that allows celebrities and organizations to update their followers on the messaging platform. Channels will soon get a polling feature, voice notes and the option to share channel updates on status. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday announced the new Channels feature by showing his followers the new polling function on his WhatsApp channel. WhatsApp launched the Channels feature last year, which works as a one-way broadcasting tool. Channels aims to get more people on WhatsApp with updates from sports teams, organizations and celebrities.

The new update will increase engagement in the channel by allowing channel admins to send polls to members. Polls have been present on WhatsApp for some time on general and group chats. Channel admins will now also be able to send updates as voice notes, which will connect 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 ‘Forward’ has to be selected and then ‘My Status’ has to be selected. The new update also has the facility to add more than one admin for a particular channel.

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

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