After many advances, closed tests and beta updates, WhatsApp releases a lot of news to all users: communities to create groups according to the needs to the reactions. Moreover, WhatsApp finally unlocks the file sending limit: items up to 2 GB can be attached.
It rarely happens that WhatsApp updates its stable application with a many changes previously tested in beta, today is a big leap on the platform. Especially for the treatment of specialized groups. What do you need to organize a group of parents, communication between workers in a company or any other community? Well, just that, WhatsApp communities, are now official.
WhatsApp communities: private and interest-based groups
The new tool for communication between users officially reaches the most popular instant messaging application for expand the possibilities of groups without much inconvenience possessed by these groups for the organization.
Communities are looking for a different style of communication in WhatsApp groups. Instead of being a space where everyone can talk and listen at the same time, WhatsApp offered its new tool as a kind of enclosure where there will be administrators who will oversee overall communication to maintain the organization; while the other components of the community can create and manage their own internal groups with which to subdivide the various tasks.
A very clear example is that of school groups. Those with school-aged children know first-hand the chaos of WhatsApp groups for parents and teachers. With the community, the school can manage its own communication area within WhatsApp, allowing users to interact with each other reserving the right to send global communications to all participants
WhatsApp Communities will retain the following features:
- End-to-end encryptionjust like the rest of WhatsApp.
- The phone number is hidden from community members, only admins will be able to see it.
- Communities are private: WhatsApp will not allow you to search or locate them. They are only accessible by invitation.
- Only administrators will be able to send broadcast messages to the entire community.
- Each community will have a list of accessible groups. Administrators can add and move groups, as well as delete them.
- Users will be able to decide if they want to be added to communities, as is currently the case with groups.
- Admins will be able to report abuse and unauthorized use of communities to WhatsApp. The company can expel participants, close groups and even communities.
More news for everyone: reactions, fewer limits…
Communities are the most notable new feature, but there’s more:
- WhatsApp reactions. The company is finally enabling message reactions after months of testing.
- Deleted by admin. Group and community admins will be able to delete “erroneous or problematic messages from chats”.
- Send files up to 2 GB. After the localized test in Argentina, the expansion of up to 2 GB of attached files reaches all users.
- Voice calls up to 32 people. WhatsApp increases the number of voice call participants from eight to thirty-two.
WhatsApp news is enabled from today for everyone. And they will arrive in the next few days as applications and servers are updated.
More information | WhatsApp
