WhatsApp’s Group Chat Controls, Additional Context Around Group Membership

On 21st March, WhatsApp Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, unveiled new WhatsApp features that give group admins greater control over who may join a group and which groups users share with others. Specifically, the update provides greater insights into groups shared by other users, as well as more control over who may and cannot join groups, providing users with more options for connection and discovery.

On a blog, WhatsApp wrote:

“Since launching, we’ve wanted to build even more tools for admins and users alike. Today we’re excited to roll out a few new changes we’ve made to make groups more manageable for admins and easier to navigate for everyone.”

This update from Meta aims for rich connections among its users without violating privacy. It was 3rd November last year when WhatsApp launched “Communities,” the feature that enables users to link similar group chats under a single banner. This makes keeping in touch with a topic’s larger context simpler.

As a digital marketing agency in Leicestershire, we believe WhatsApp’s new update can influence businesses who use the app and even those who have not yet used it.

Read on and learn more about the WhatsApp update.

New controls for group admins

To make it simpler to accept new members into a group, the app will include a straightforward user interface (UI) for the control panel. With the new design, admin members may accept and reject users while seeing a larger list of those who have previously been accepted or rejected.

According to WhatsApp:

“Groups are where people have some of their most intimate conversations and it’s important that admins are able to easily decide who can and cannot come in.”

Having an easy control UI for group admins will help them filter out the group for members’ protection and for the maintenance of harmony and purpose of the group. Moreover, the goal is to increase WhatsApp usage across private chats and enable more diverse discussions. As more social media interaction shifts to private conversations, it’s another way for Meta to keep up with that trend and attract people.

Groups-in-common display

Additionally, WhatsApp is introducing a new “groups in common” display to provide users with more details regarding other users.

“With the growth of Communities and their larger groups, we want to make it easy to know which groups you have in common with someone. Whether you’re trying to remember the name of a group you know you share with someone or you want to see the groups you’re both in, you can now easily search a contact’s name to see your groups in common,” WhatsApp emphasised.

Basically, the new display helps users discover more groups and look for communities that are appropriate for them to interact with on particular themes.

The benefits businesses get

Other than the regular WhatsApp, businesses can actually enjoy a version of WhatsApp intended for them—WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp Business gives micro and small enterprises the fundamental communication tools they need. With it, business admins can also initiate conversations and take part in group conversations. It provides the same fundamental functionality as the one for personal usage. However, there is no update on whether the business app will offer the same updates.

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If the business prefers the regular WhatsApp app, they can benefit from the updates in the following ways:

If the business has a group chat with its customers, it can guarantee customer privacy protection.

The business account admin can determine whether the user requesting to join doesn’t have bad intentions.
With the help of the “Groups in Common” display, users have more chances to discover the business through mutual connections.
The new control panel UI is easier to use, saving the business account admin more time.
We, a digital marketing agency in Leicestershire, believe that the WhatsApp app itself is an excellent tool for marketing products and services.

It has over 2.24 billion monthly users; thus, it is one of the most widely used global mobile chat programs. In fact, more than 5 million companies were using WhatsApp globally in 2019.

One of the main drivers of WhatsApp’s growth has been the ease of use of its instant chat and media-sharing features. In addition, the most popular messaging app keeps improving in terms of features, security, and privacy with each update.

Key Takeaways

WhatsApp has unveiled updated features that give admins more control over who may join a group and which groups users share with others.
More online conversations move from public posts on social media platforms to private chats; therefore, Meta attempts to adapt to the shift by offering new options to maintain user engagement and support companies in reaching consumers where they are online.
Small businesses can benefit from the updates since they can protect their groups’ privacy and become more discoverable.