WhatsApp is introducing an upgrade to its feature, ‘WhatsApp Channels’— a tool for one-way private broadcasts— as part of its latest version update, according to WABetaInfo.
This update enables users to receive notifications regarding the availability of specific channels on the messaging platform. Particularly, Android users will be notified when they gain access to certain channels on WhatsApp. Beta testers will encounter a new prompt requesting permission to send notifications about channel availability.
WABetaInfo, a WhatsApp news tracker, labelled the update as a very unexpected feature, marking the first instance where WhatsApp offers a tool for notifying users about introducing new features.
Users can check if this feature is active on their devices by opening a channel invite link. However, since the ‘channels’ feature is currently only operational in Singapore and Colombia, users must open a channel created in these countries.
While users can only follow channels once they are accessible in their countries, the new feature will notify them when these channels become available.
This update is being rolled out to a select group of Android beta testers who downloaded the latest update from the Google Play Store. The feature will be accessible to more users in the coming days.
