WhatsApp now recommends channels and users report the update

WhatsApp Channels were opened in Brazil recently. but these are already the target of criticism from users. The community has been complaining about the new functionality on social media. The new feature is almost a copy of the Telegram feature of the same name.

Channels are like public chats used to share news with thousands of people. There are no limits on members, and chats are organized under their own “Updates” tab, separate from traditional chats.

User can become a “Follower” instead of being a member of a channel. Only administrators can post messages in a channel, but anyone can react to messages.

Users Complain on WhatsApp Channels

On Twitter (X today), users are complaining about the new Channels. The innovation is seen as a copy of Telegram’s function and an attempt to turn WhatsApp into a social network.

See also: Elon Musk announced that X, formerly known as Twitter, may soon become a paid site

Check out some reactions:

So what is WhatsApp turning into??? pic.twitter.com/EMVWHquexD

-moon? (@Tkklovr) September 19, 2023

Meta Destroys WhatsApp Status pic.twitter.com/2V6N6Ro5CT

— Fabricio Oliveira (@unconfortfab) September 19, 2023

For God’s sake, stop putting things on WhatsApp, stop trying to turn it into a social network! pic.twitter.com/4xQty2seg8

— deftones da silva (@enterrodosossos) September 19, 2023

This is the worst WhatsApp update pic.twitter.com/OLklx0buqb

— Gabi?? NO?? (@gabiwlx_) September 19, 2023

What stupidity is this? WhatsApp is now Instagram, right? I don’t even want to see the status of my contacts, let alone buy these things… pic.twitter.com/PeFujdmwq0

— Helena Malta (@lenaksupercorp) September 19, 2023

Joining channels is optional

In the announcement, WhatsApp reinforced: Participation in channels is completely optional. During the process of enabling the feature, the messaging app also asks the user if they are sure they want to enable the feature.

However, even if the function is disabled, the “Updates” tab will no longer be the tab known as “Status” and will always share space with the new conversation format, which may be an annoyance for some users.