WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that simplifies message sharing in Channels, making it easier to share individual updates, akin to Telegram.
Introduction
WhatsApp, a leading instant messaging app on Android, continuously evolves to stay competitive, drawing inspiration from feature-rich rivals like Telegram. As part of its ongoing efforts to expand its capabilities and transform into a multifaceted messaging platform, WhatsApp has recently introduced Channels for its users globally. This marks a significant shift for WhatsApp from primarily a one-on-one chat app to a versatile messaging platform. To support this transition, developers are continually introducing new features to Channels. One feature recently spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta is the ability to share links to individual messages within a channel.
Channels on WhatsApp
Channels offer creators, celebrities, e-commerce platforms, leaders, and other entities a means to connect with a vast user base through one-to-many messaging. WhatsApp’s vision includes allowing anyone to create a channel to share updates comprising text, media, and links with their subscribers. Subscribed channels appear in the Updates tab, nestled beneath the ephemeral status updates from your contacts. WhatsApp places a premium on subscriber privacy while assisting them in discovering updates with innovative search tools and specialized filters designed for finding new channels.
Introducing Link Sharing
While you could always forward a Channel update to a group or an individual, WhatsApp is now rolling out a new option to share links to updates, a feature akin to how Telegram handles message sharing. These links direct users to the specific update message within the channel. Consequently, sharing Channel updates outside WhatsApp becomes remarkably straightforward. Moreover, these update links empower you to share specific updates without forwarding the entire message, preventing unnecessary clutter in your chats with excessive media and lengthy texts. Since the links are message-specific, they eliminate the need to scroll through multiple messages within the channel to locate a specific one. Once WhatsApp allows users to create personal Channels, links to specific updates could serve as a powerful self-promotion tool across various social apps.
Availability and Implementation
The link sharing feature for Channel updates initially reached a select group of beta testers with WhatsApp version 2.23.20.18, distributed via the Play Store. WABetaInfo anticipates that it will soon become accessible to a broader range of beta testers on both iOS and Android. WhatsApp intends to make link sharing available to all its users, not just channel creators. When this feature becomes accessible, you can expect a new link button between the Forward button and the three-dot overflow menu. This button will appear when you long-press a Channel update you wish to share. Until it becomes widely available, you can forward updates to other WhatsApp chats or manually copy and paste the content into other applications.
Conclusion
WhatsApp’s introduction of link sharing for Channel updates significantly enhances message dissemination capabilities. This feature streamlines the process of sharing individual updates, aligning WhatsApp more closely with the functionalities of Telegram. As WhatsApp continues to evolve and democratize channel creation, the ability to share links to specific updates is poised to become an invaluable tool for promoting Channels and sharing content across various social platforms. Stay tuned for further updates, as WhatsApp strives to provide users with a seamless and versatile messaging experience.