WhatsApp is testing a notifier option for their new Channels feature on Android
WhatsApp is currently working on a new feature that will allow users to be notified when channels are available. This feature is still in development and is only available to beta testers in the countries where Channels are currently rolled out.
It is unclear when channels will be available to users outside of Singapore and Colombia. However, the fact that WhatsApp is working on a feature to allow users to be notified when channels are available suggests that they are planning to roll out the feature to a wider audience in the near future.
WhatsApp announced the new Channels feature last week. This feature will allow users to follow users and channels and keep up with them via a feed, similar to what we have now with Twitter, that is separate from existing chats.
Unfortunately, the feature launched in limited capacity and is currently only available in Singapore and Colombia, with the promise to come to other countries soon. However, it is this limitation that made it possible for the folks over at WaBetaInfo to discover a brand new feature tied to Channels — a notifier that lets you know when you will able to subscribe to them.
This feature is currently being tested in version 2.23.12.20 of WhatsApp Beta, which is available via the Play Store to those enrolled in the beta program. It turns out that when the Channels feature launched, users that had access to it shared invite links which ended up in the hands of users that did not have access to the feature. At first, this resulted in a generic message stating that the feature is not yet available.
However, on this latest beta version, the generic notification has been transformed and now looks more polished. Aside from the fancy redesign, the notification now also includes an option for the user to tap on "Notify me," to be added to a waiting list. Once channels are available for your account, you will receive a notification letting you know.
Source - WaBetaInfo
It is unclear when channels will be available to users outside of Singapore and Colombia. However, the fact that WhatsApp is working on a feature to allow users to be notified when channels are available suggests that they are planning to roll out the feature to a wider audience in the near future.
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