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There are loads of cool WhatsApp tips and tricks that you can use to make your life easier. There’s no doubt that WhatsApp is an immensely powerful communication tool in the contemporary world and now, with the introduction of Channels, they sure are taking it a step forward. Much like Telegram Channels, WhatsApp Channels help you stay up to date on your favorite creators, celebrities, businesses, and well, you get the idea. This guide is to provide you with a complete idea of what WhatsApp Channels are as well as give practical insights into making the most out of this newly launched feature. So, let’s get into it!
What Are Whatsapp Channels?
If you are a Telegram user, you have an idea of how the concept of “Channel” works. WhatsApp has taken a somewhat similar approach to implement a Channels feature in its messaging app. WhatsApp Channels are one-way broadcasting tools to reach out to many subscribers or followers at once. This allows channel admins to quickly dissipate information to an unlimited number of people at one go.
The WhatsApp Channels feature has been released globally and will eventually roll out to everyone in the coming weeks. So, if you haven’t received the update, there’s no need to worry. The feature shall soon arrive on your device as well. While you can join and use Channels at the time of writing, the ability to create a channel is unavailable. For now, only a handful of individuals/ organizations are allowed to “create” a WhatsApp Channel.
Up until now, you were probably used to seeing a Status tab right beside your Chats tab on WhatsApp, right? Well, that has changed, and the Status tab has been replaced with an Updates tab. Once you head over to Updates, you will see the Status section. Right below the Status section is the new Channels section. This is different from WhatsApp Communities, added to the app earlier this year.
Here, you will be able to see all the Channels you have followed. Also, do note that in order to get updates from a channel, you will have to follow it and turn on notifications. So, how do you join or follow a Channel on WhatsApp? If you join one, how do you unfollow it? How do you share WhatsApp Channels? We answer all of these questions in this guide, so read on.
How to Join a Channel on WhatsApp
If you have updated your messaging app and are seeing the Channels feature, follow the steps below to join a channel on WhatsApp:
1. Open WhatsApp and head to the Updates tab.
2. Here, you will find the option to Find Channels at the bottom of the screen. Tap on it.
3. You will now see a list of all channels available to follow on WhatsApp. You can simply tap the plus icon beside each channel or just manually search for the channel that you want to follow using the search icon towards the top right corner of your screen.
That’s pretty much it and your followed creators or celebrities will now be shown in the Channels tab. You can simply tap on the desired Channel and get the updates you are looking for.
How to Unfollow a WhatsApp Channel
To stop receiving updates from someone and remove a WhatsApp Channel from your Updates feed, you will have to unfollow it. If you are unsure how, here’s a quick rundown:
1. Navigate to the Updates section of your WhatsApp app.
2. Here, you will see a list of the channels you have followed and added. Tap on any of them.
3. Towards the top right corner, you will see a vertical three-dot icon. Tap on it and select Unfollow.
4. Next, you will see a confirmation pop-up window. Tap on the Unfollow button again, and that’s it. You have successfully removed or deleted a WhatsApp Channel.
Bulk Unfollow WhatsApp Channels Instead
Now, if you have way too many channels added, manually visiting each page and unfollowing it is understandably a bit time-consuming and not exactly ideal. So, you can instead unfollow your followed WhatsApp Channels in one go using this simple trick:
1. Once you head over to the Updates section on WhatsApp, tap on the “See all” button beside the Find channels tab.
2. You will see a full list of Channels here. Now, you can simply search for your added Channels manually or find them from the list.
3. Then, beside each of these Channels, you will see a tick icon. Tap on it
4. Next, hit “Unfollow“ on the small pop-up confirmation window.
Sharing WhatsApp Channels can come in handy if you’re trying to get people to follow amazing Channels like Beebom’s here. For example, initially, I hadn’t received the Channels update and asked my colleague who had gotten it to send me a WhatsApp Channel link. By tapping on this link, I realized that the update wasn’t live on my device yet (more on this below).
Sharing Channels allows you to invite your friends to a specific WhatsApp channel that they are looking for, making the process easier for them. So, here’s how you can share WhatsApp Channels easily:
1. Go to the WhatsApp Channels section and open the Channel’s page that you want to share.
2. Here, tap the vertical three-dot icon at the top right and select Channel info from the menu.
3. You will see the option to Forward or Share the particular WhatsApp Channel with your friends and family.
4. While the ‘Forward’ option allows you to directly share the Channel link within WhatsApp, the ‘Share’ button allows you to share it with anyone and everyone using your preferred app of choice. With the Share button, you can also copy the Channel link and share it anywhere, with anyone you want.
How to Create a Channel on WhatsApp
As mentioned before, you can’t create a WhatsApp Channel right now and only a handful of organizations as well as individuals have been given access to this functionality. Luckily, Beebom is one of those creators. Hence, we had the opportunity to test the feature, and now, let us give you a complete idea of how you can create a channel once the feature is rolled out for regular WhatsApp users. In order to create a channel on WhatsApp, follow these simple steps:
1. Open WhatsApp on your Android or iOS device and head to the Updates tab.
2. Once you do, you will find Channels at the bottom, right under the Status section.
3. Here, you will see a plus icon right beside the Channels text. Tap on it.
4. That will reveal two options – Create channel and Find channels. Tap on Create Channel and then tap on the Continue button to set up your new WhatsApp Channel.
Why Can’t I Find or Use WhatsApp Channels?
As said before, I used a shared WhatsApp Channel link to determine whether I had received the update or not. You can try this method as well and don’t worry if you see the “Channels isn’t available for you yet” message.
Well, WhatsApp Channels is seeing a phased rollout, and it will take some time for the feature to reach your device. So, keep checking in to see if the Updates section is visible on your WhatsApp app. Here are a couple of common fixes that you can try:
- Update WhatsApp: Head over to the Google Play Store or iOS App Store to check if you have missed any updates. If so, update your WhatsApp app.
- Clear WhatsApp Cache: In case you still can’t see the Updates tab, clear the WhatsApp app cache if you’re using an Android device. You can also force restart WhatsApp on Android. iOS users can try offloading and reinstalling the messaging app.
- Reinstall WhatsApp: You can simply try uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp to fix the issue.
- Restart your device: Maybe it isn’t a problem with WhatsApp and is a classic case of your device just glitching out. Chances are that your device hasn’t registered the update in the first place. Restarting your device can fix this.
If none of these methods work, you simply haven’t received the update yet. Since this is a server-side update, it will take some time to reach all users. You will get the update soon, so stay patient.
Recently, we did get a lot of useful features like the ability to edit sent messages as well as text an unsaved number on WhatsApp or post a voice note on your WhatsApp status. In addition, we also received valuable features like WhatsApp video messages. However, the Channels update seems like a major step forward and allows it to compete with the likes of Telegram. So, let us know in the comments what you think about the new Channels update!