Given the positive feedback they’ve received, WhatsApp believes there’s much more they need to do to assist users to manage crowded conversations in groups like schools, local clubs, and non-profit organizations.
Communities has a role in this. People will be able to put together different groups under one tent with a structure that suits them on WhatsApp communities. People may simply establish smaller discussion groups on topics that interest to them and have updates posted to the broader Community. Administrators will get access to a number of additional tools, including the ability to send out public announcements and control over which groups are allowed to participate.
WhatsApp’s developers believe Communities will make it simpler for a school principal to gather all of the school’s parents together to communicate important announcements and create groups for certain subjects, extracurricular activities, or volunteer needs.
They’re also improving the way groups function on WhatsApp, regardless of whether they’re part of a Community. They believe that they will allow individuals to share in new ways while also reducing conversation overload in bigger groups. These capabilities will be available in the next weeks, allowing users to test them out before Communities are complete.
- Reactions: Emoji reactions will be there in WhatsApp, allowing users to swiftly express themselves without clogging up conversations with extra messages.
- Admin Delete: Messages that are erroneous or inappropriate will be removed from everyone’s conversations by group admins.
- File-Sharing: They’re expanding file sharing to handle files up to 2 terabytes, making it easier for individuals to work together on projects.
- Larger Voice Calls: For those occasions when talking live is preferable to chatting, WhatsApp will bring one-tap voice calling for up to 32 people with an entirely new look.
WhatsApp will continue to safeguard communications with end-to-end encryption since communities are intrinsically private. They say that the need for this security technology to safeguard people’s privacy and safety has never been greater. Schools, religious congregations, and even corporations all want and need to be able to hold safe and confidential talks without WhatsApp snooping in on what they say.
More information regarding WhatsApp’s approach to privacy, safety, and security for Communities can be found here.
While other applications focus on creating conversations for hundreds of thousands of people, WhatsApp chooses to support the groups that are a part of our daily lives. Communities on WhatsApp are still in their infancy, and developing new tools to support them will be a significant emphasis for WhatsApp in the coming year.
