WhatsApp admins can now tightly control who joins a group
WhatsApp has announced new features that make it easier to find and manage groups on the app. Group admins now have added control and can select who can join groups via invites. Further, you can now see which groups you have in common with a contact. Both features are being released globally in a phased manner.
Why does this story matter?
The recent WhatsApp updates are related to the Communities feature, which is basically a group chat meant to accommodate a large number of people, like schools, and organizations, and to club related sub-groups under one roof. WhatsApp Communities currently supports up to 5,000 users, video calls for up to 32 participants, and group-wide admin announcements. It was released in November last year.
Admins now have more control over group privacy
WhatsApp Admins can now approve who can or cannot join a group chat via invitation links or from other communities. This new feature gives admins more control over group privacy. The Meta-owned app recommends that admins should only share group invitation links with trusted individuals since anyone who has access to the URL could join the group.
Users can find common groups shared with other contacts
You can now easily find out which groups you share in common with another contact. When you search for a contact on the app, the number of mutual groups will now be displayed beneath their name. This might come in handy especially if you cannot recall the name of the group you are a part of.
The app is also developing a feature to pin messages
WhatsApp is also developing a feature that will allow you to pin messages within groups and chats, allowing you to keep track of important messages. Once pinned, an icon will appear on the chat bubble indicating that the message is pinned. The pinned message will be displayed at the top of the conversation, allowing quick access when needed.
WhatsApp is testing polls that have a single-choice limit
WhatsApp is working on an option that limits polls to only one choice. Once enabled, users will be able to select only one response in a poll. However, it is currently being tested on the iOS beta channel as part of the update iOS 23.6.0.72.
