Here is how to use WhatsApp's new Channels feature

WhatsApp Channels are here! The feature announced last month allows organisations to broadcast to followers in a one-to-many format, similar to the platform’s rival Telegram.

Channels were first rolled out in Colombia and Singapore last month before being made available for users in more countries, including Kenya, this week.

The one-way broadcast tool lets account administrators send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls to followers, which means users can subscribe to channels by organisations, people, or about topics they are interested in to receive updates without having to take part in a discussion similar to WhatsApp groups.

To find and follow channels:

1. Check out the list of channels available to you by tapping the Updates tab (formerly Status), then scroll down to the Channels section below the Status updates.
2. Select Find channels. Channels with a green checkmark next to their name have been verified by WhatsApp as being authentic.
3. Preview channel updates before you follow by tapping the channel name to preview recent updates. You can also learn more about a channel by checking out its info page: tap on the channel name or tap More, then go to Channel info.

At the same time, you can quickly follow a channel from the directory by tapping the Plus next to the channel name. To search for a channel, tap Search.

Alternatively, channel admins will also be able to share a link outside of WhatsApp to help people to find their channel.

You can join the channel by tapping the link to open a channel in WhatsApp and browse updates. One can also follow channels from their channel info page, or when previewing them by tapping the Follow button.

To know when there’s a new update, you can also choose to turn on notifications for a channel.

A Telegram-like feature WhatsApp incorporated in Channels is the privacy of users following a channel; one is not visible to other channel followers.

Also, other followers can’t see the name, phone number, or profile picture of other channel followers, and other contacts can’t see which channels you follow unless they are an admin of a channel you follow.

Channel admins can only see a follower’s name and profile photo, depending on one’s privacy settings.

“Channel updates are kept in a separate tab from your chats. As always, your personal messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted. No one else, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them,” WhatsApp says.