WhatsApp has always lacked a clean one-to-many messaging solution. However, the app’s developers at Meta recently made the new Channels feature officialafter months of development, where WhatsApp users can send broadcast-style messages. The devs now seem to be working on a notification system for when the feature becomes available, perhaps serving as a silent testament to how overdue it has been.
WhatsApp announced thenew Channels featureearlier this week, and it is rolling out gradually, starting with Singapore and Colombia. Even in these markets, though, the feature is debuting as a partnership with select organizations. Eventually, everyone including individual WhatsApp users like you and me will be able to create channels. With the feature already announced, it could be disappointing when you hit links to Channels, but can’t access them. Down the road it will also be difficult to track when your account is allowed to create them.
WhatsApp’s in-development alert system for when Channels are available (Source:WABetaInfo)
To make it all easier, WhatsApp is doing something it has never done before — creating an in-app alert system for when this new feature is available to you. The sleuths atWABetaInfospotted the popup for this alert in v2.23.12.20 of the app available on the Play Store. However, the feature is still in development and unavailable to beta testers.
Still, Meta going out of its way to build a waitlist of sorts for Channels can only be interpreted as a silent nod to how hotly broadcasting features are anticipated. Perhaps the devs will roll this feature out slightly quicker than other worldwide changes, to cater to the higher demand. Once the alert system is available, WABetaInfo says tappingNotify mein the popup will sign you up for a notification when Channels are available to you. If you aren’t too excited about Channels, you will also have an option toDismissthe prompt taking no action, when it appears.
