According to Meta, “channels” would let people get news from their preferred sports teams, elected figures, and other authorities. Football juggernauts Manchester City and Barcelona are among the participants who have already signed up.

The option to follow accounts outside of your personal contacts is being added to WhatsApp, similar to Twitter.

Separate from your current private conversations in a new area of the programme dubbed “updates,” the new feature will function similarly to news feeds on other social media sites.

Users will be able to search for people and groups they would wish to follow, such as sports teams, elected officials, and accounts dedicated to hobbies and interests, rather than having to add a contact by their phone number.

Owners of “channels” that are followable sites will also be able to ask individuals to join via direct links.

The World Health Organisation and Premier League champion Manchester City are among the organisations that have joined up, according to WhatsApp owner Meta, and ultimately anybody will be able to create their own channel.

Alongside status updates that users may currently post for the eyes of their contacts, posts from channels will show up on the new updates page and include text, photographs, videos, and polls.

Channels seem quite similar to a standard WhatsApp chat when you touch on an update in your feed, but without the option to reply.

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