Looks like secure chat client WhatsApp just got a little livelier. Its long-promised emoji-based Reactions and newly developed Communities features for organizations rolled out on Thursday.
Users will have six emojis to play with to start. And in addition to new Communities, WhatsApp’s Groups functionality gets a revamp, too.
WhatsApp rolls out emoji Reactions and Community features
With WhatsApp’s new emoji-based Reactions, users can quickly share their opinion with a little graphical icon rather. As with many other places where emojis play, that saves folks from having to type a message to express themselves.
To start, users will have six emojis to choose from. They are a thumb’s up, a heart, hands pressed together, and facial expressions for laughing, surprise and sadness, as shown in the tweet below from WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart. He said “all emojis and skin-tones” are planned to come.
We’re excited to announce that reactions are coming to WhatsApp starting with ❤️ and with all emojis and skin-tones to come. pic.twitter.com/086JnVS5Ey
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) April 14, 2022
Communities for organizations
The new Communities function will focus on organizations like schools, local clubs and nonprofit organizations, according to a press release.
As WhatsApp described it:
Communities on WhatsApp will enable people to bring together separate groups under one umbrella with a structure that works for them. That way people can receive updates sent to the entire Community and easily organize smaller discussion groups on what matters to them. Communities will also contain powerful new tools for admins, including announcement messages that are sent to everyone and control over which groups can be included.
WhatsApp’s Groups function will also get a revamp. Groups can be part of a Community, but don’t have to be. Groups will now feature Reactions, file sharing up to 2GB, admin message deletion and live audio calls with up to 32 attendees.
WhatsApp said “it’s early days for Communities” on the app “and building the new features to support them will be a major focus of ours for the year to come.”
