WhatsApp is working on improving channels to enhance the user experience before a wider global launch. The recent addition of message forwarding within channels allows creators to expand their audience by including a channel link in forwarded messages, and it’s available to some users that install the most recent updates of WhatsApp for iOS and Android.
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Forward messages – channels |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | Latest versions of WhatsApp for iOS and Android are compatible. |
| I have updated my version of WhatsApp but I don’t have this feature. Why? | WhatsApp is currently rolling out this feature. It will gradually reach everyone over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | Youssef Salem, for testing and reporting! |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.17.14: what’s new? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to create and share AI stickers! |
After releasing channels to 7 additional countries, WhatsApp keeps working on improving them before a wider release in new countries. In fact, WhatsApp is aiming to ensure the best user experience before making channel access available to new users. Specifically, WhatsApp just announced in their official channel that they are rolling out the ability to forward messages from channels, and this feature offers some special enhancements to gain new followers!
As you can see in this screenshot, WhatsApp just posted a new message within their official channel, stating that you can now share channel messages with your friends and family. Currently, this feature is available to a limited number of users. To see if it’s available to your account, you can give it a try by tapping a message and choosing the “forward” action, just like you would in a regular WhatsApp chat.
With the ability to forward messages from channels, WhatsApp is providing channel creators with a new tool to expand their audience by getting new followers. Specifically, a new entry point to the channel will be included in the forwarded message. This means that the recipients of the forwarded message can easily follow the channel by selecting “View channel”, in case it’s a public channel.
It’s important to note that there isn’t a specific date for the wider availability of WhatsApp’s channel feature in new countries. However, during a recent earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg mentioned their plan to introduce channels to more countries throughout the rest of the year. This makes us hopeful that new people all around the world will soon get to try out channels. We’ll keep you posted with updates in a future article once we have new information to share with you.
The forwarding message feature is available to some users that install the latest update of WhatsApp for iOS from the App Store and WhatsApp for Android from the Play Store, and it’s rolling out to more users over the coming days.
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