Winds of change are blowing in WhatsApp. The application seems to be close to receiving a fairly important update, starting with the redesign on Android and going through the canales, a function that is in development and that now, courtesy of WaBetaInfo, we have been able to know in advance. It is an information dissemination system in the purest Telegram style that, without knowing exactly how it will work, could mean a complete change in the use we make of WhatsApp.
Channels are under development and, at the moment, they are not available even for beta users. However, it makes a lot of sense that they reach WhatsApp. Meta is betting on the channels in other applications such as Instagram, where they will be available soon, and it is normal that they want to take them to WhatsApp, one of the most used messaging applications in the world.
This will be the WhatsApp channels
According to a series of screenshots obtained by WaBetaInfo (both on iOS and Android), WhatsApp channels seem to have an operation similar to that of Telegram. For practical purposes, they will be like a chat with a user, but the messages will be published by the administrator(s) of the channel to distribute them to all the followers of the channel. We don’t know what options there will be, because Telegram is very powerful in that regard, but it is to be expected that text messages, images, videos and files can be sent, as is already possible in chats. We will have to wait.
In addition, we can see the number of followers of the channel, as well as a description of it and its characteristics, namely: if it is public or private channel and the privacy settings of our profile within the channel. Likewise, there will be three buttons in the upper area to follow, forward and share the channel and a button to mute notifications. Finally, there will be two buttons to unfollow or report a channel.
This is what WhatsApp channels will look like – Image: WaBetaInfo
Something that stands out is that, when a channel is public, “anyone can find this channel and see what has been shared,” explains the description. Does this mean that there will be a global channel search engine like Telegram’s within WhatsApp? We do not know, but in Telegram it is like that and, from the description, everything points to it. It will be time to wait to see the final implementation of the channels to clear up any doubts.
What is clear is that WhatsApp channels have the potential to completely change the way we use the app. Channels (and bots) have always been one of the main benefits of Telegram and that they are now coming to WhatsApp is, to say the least, interesting. However, it remains to be seen if WhatsApp offers any kind of integration with automation platforms such as IFTTT and what kind of options they offer administrators. In the end, the key to Telegram channels lies in how easy it is to find and manage them.
Via | WaBetaInfo
Image | Pexels
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