WhatsApp Revamps Groups With New Features Like Emoji Reactions, Adds Communities Option

Popular Meta-owned messaging app WhatsApp today announced the launch of a new "Communities" feature, which is designed to allow people to bring together separate groups under a single umbrella. WhatsApp says that this will give people a way to receive updates that are sent to an entire community, and then organize smaller discussion groups on important topics.

whatsapp communities
So, for example, school parents could create an overarching "School" community, which breaks out into smaller groups based on grade and other factors. Community admins will have access to "powerful new tools" like announcement messages and control over the groups that can be created within a community.

We think Communities will make it easier for a school principal to bring all the parents of the school together to share must-read updates and set up groups about specific classes, extracurricular activities, or volunteer needs.

WhatsApp is also adding a number of improvements for groups, including emoji reactions for reacting to messages, an admin delete feature that will allow problematic messages to be removed from everyone's chats, file sharing with support for files up to 2GB, and one-tap voice calling for up to 32 people.

Popular Stories

ipad mini 2021 youtube

New Report Reveals When to Expect the iPad Mini 7

Tuesday October 1, 2024 2:09 pm PDT by
Apple is working on a new iPad mini that will "potentially" be released "by the end of 2024," according to a report today from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Last month, Gurman reported that Apple had "new iPads in the works," including an upgraded version of the iPad mini. At the time, he said the device was "on deck for Apple's October event" alongside the first M4 Macs. The wording in his...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.0.1 With Touch Screen Bug Fix and More

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:22 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.0.1 and iPadOS 18.0.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, the...
apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022 feature purple

MacBook Pro, iMac, and Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 Chips on Track to Launch 'This Year'

Tuesday October 1, 2024 1:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models with the M4 series of chips "this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman initially said these Macs would likely be announced during a virtual event this October, but he has been more vague about the timing lately, with wording such as "in the coming weeks" and now merely "this year." In any case, it is clear that...
15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

Friday September 27, 2024 6:14 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.1 in October, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple's AI integration, offering a new Siri contextually-aware experience and a range of additional capabilities powered by on-device machine learning and large language models. There are a couple of handy new...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 With Bug Fixes

Thursday October 3, 2024 2:27 pm PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.0.1, the first update for the macOS Sequoia operating system. The 15.0.1 update comes a week after Apple first released macOS Sequoia 15. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. According to Apple's release notes, macOS Sequoia 15.0.1 fixes a bug that could cause the Messages app...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Tuesday October 1, 2024 5:47 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.0.1 Coming Soon: What to Expect for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 2, 2024 5:50 am PDT by
Following the release of iOS 18 for the iPhone last month, Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.0.1 with bug fixes in the near future. We previously reported that Apple has been internally testing iOS 18.0.1, and today a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing iOS-related information said the update will have a build number of 22A3370. We expect iOS 18.0.1 to be a minor ...
Apple Logo

Apple in October: Six New Things to Expect This Month

Tuesday October 1, 2024 11:47 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to October, and it should be another busy month for Apple. Apple is likely to hold another event this month to announce new Macs and iPads, and there are also a couple of iOS 18 updates that are expected to be released soon. Below, we outline six new things to expect from Apple this month. MacBook Pro Apple plans to announce updated 14-inch and 16-inch...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Here Are All the New Features Coming to macOS Sequoia This Month

Thursday October 3, 2024 6:27 am PDT by
‌Apple in October will release macOS Sequoia‌ 15.1, bringing to Macs the first Apple Intelligence features such as Writing Tools, new Siri features, Smart Replies, and more. In addition, macOS 15.1 adds a handful of welcome tweaks and improvements to existing Mac capabilities. Here's what we can expect from the first major update to macOS Sequoia later this month. Note that Apple...

Top Rated Comments

sorgo † Avatar
32 months ago
Get Facebook (and Google) out of schools.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LivingMyBeachLife Avatar
32 months ago

Makes total sense.

Why spy on one group when you can do it to multiple groups at once?! You're a genius Zuck!
Sadly, people voluntarily allow the spying to occur.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
32 months ago
Makes total sense.

Why spy on one group when you can do it to multiple groups at once?! You're a genius Zuck!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
32 months ago
Hard pass. Will never install or use anything from teh Zuck.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
32 months ago
Can WhatsApp team can work on bringing the app to an iPad, please. It will be beneficial and easier for the community to come together.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
5883662 Avatar
32 months ago
Signal all the way
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)