WhatsApp Channels Hit 500 Million Monthly Active Users (Image: WhatsApp Blog)

WhatsApp Channels, the Meta-owned platform”s new feature, has surpassed the 500 million monthly active users milestone. This was announced by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta, on November 15. WhatsApp Channels, which is similar to Telegram Channels, made this achievement within seven weeks of launch.

“500 million monthly actives on WhatsApp Channels in the first 7 weeks! Great to see the WA community so engaged,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg on his Facebook handle. WhatsApp unveiled the Channels feature in June 2023, and it was rolled out in more than 150 countries, including India, in September. WhatsApp Channels are a one-way broadcast tool for admins to send text, photos, videos, and polls. According to WhatsApp, this feature is a simple, reliable, and private way to receive major updates from people and organizations right within the platform. Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif is one of the most followed Indian celebrities on WhatsApp channels.

Notably, Channels are separate from private chats, and the platform also protects the personal information of both admins and followers. For example, following a channel will not reveal the phone number of a user to the admin or other followers. Users will be able to join any channel by scanning a QR code or tapping on a link. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is working on various new features for Channels. On November 11, WABetaInfo reported that the messaging app is rolling out a new feature to share stickers in WhatsApp Channels. With this, WhatsApp is trying to engage users more dynamically. The report also says that this feature would permit channel owners to express their thoughts in a more vivid way than traditional text.