Whatsapp has announced it is rolling out a new feature called ‘Communities’ over the coming two months enabling users to bring together separate groups under one umbrella.
According to Whatsapp, the feature will let people receive updates sent to the entire Community and easily organize smaller discussion groups on what matters to them.
According to recent statistics, the number of internet users using WhatsApp monthly in Africa stands as follows:
* 95.4% in South Africa 🇿🇦
* 93.5% in Kenya 🇰🇪
* 91.9% in Nigeria 🇳🇬
* 89.9% in Ghana 🇬🇭 pic.twitter.com/5SrCkib2QI— BitKE (@BitcoinKE) December 2, 2022
Back in April 2022, Whatsapp said the feature would introduce new tools for admins including announcement messages that are sent to everyone and control over which groups can be included.
While the tool may yet reflect on your Messenger app, Whatsapp provided directions on how to access the major update:
- To get started, tap on the new communities tab at the top of your chats on Android and at the bottom on iOS
- From there, you can start a new Community from scratch or add an existing group
“Once you’re in a community, you can easily switch between available groups to get the information you need, when you need it, and admins can send important updates to everyone in the Community.”
The new feature could be a fan favorite to blockchain and crypto communities across Africa where Whatsapp is the preferred chat and group platform. Communities in the crypto sector also use Discord and Telegram but Whatsapp has unrivaled reach where about 90% of African internet users visit the platform monthly.
According to Statista:
- Approximately 95.4% of internet users in South Africa reported using WhatsApp every month
- In Nigeria, 91.9% of internet users use WhatsApp
- In Kenya, 93.5%
- In Ghana, 89.9%
WhatsApp added that Communities will introduce a level of trust and privacy not offered by other platforms which compromise on this for their group features.
“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.”
In addition to Communities, the chat messenger is also introducing 3 more features:
- The ability to create in-chat polls
- 32-person video calling
- Groups with up to 1,024 users
Whatsapp decided to introduce the 4 features after engaging 50 organizations in 15 countries on how they were using the application.
“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.”
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