WhatsApp introduces new feature 'Communities'

WhatsApp recently announced a new feature called ‘Communities’ for the platform to improve its group messaging facility. However, there was no confirmation on the date when the feature would be available on the application.

The new feature will help people club separate groups together for their convenience of receiving updates sent to the entire Community. It would also facilitate the organisation of smaller discussion groups.

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The new feature would also come with tools for admins, including announcement messages, larger video calls, file sharing up to 2GB, and control over the inclusion of groups in the Community. 

Speaking about the new feature, a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We think Communities will make it easier for a school principal to bring all the parents of the school together to share must-read updates and set up groups about specific classes, extracurricular activities, or volunteer needs.

They added, "Communities are inherently private, which is why we will continue to protect messages with end-to-end encryption. This security technology has truly never been more necessary to protect people’s privacy and safety. Close-knit groups — schools, members of a religious congregation, even businesses — very much want and need to be able to have secure and private conversations without WhatsApp monitoring their every word."

Launched in 2009, WhatsApp introduced its group feature in 2011. The new 'Communities' feature would be a focus area for the platform for the ongoing year.