Meta Brings WhatsApp’s ‘Communities’ Feature to Messenger
Meta has unveiled a brand new ‘Communities’ feature for its Messenger app. This allows users to join communities without needing to be part of a Facebook group. Notably, this Communities feature was first introduced on WhatsApp back in 2022. Now, it is being rolled out to all Messenger users as well.
A key aspect of the new Communities on Messenger is that Meta is enabling admins to create communities of up to 5,000 members. These communities can engage in real-time chat conversations within their dedicated community space. Previously, in order for group members to chat together in Messenger, they had to be part of the same Facebook Group.
This new Communities option is likely to be very beneficial for organizations, schools, clubs, and other private groups or communities. It provides a more coordinated and structured way for them to interact and engage, without needing a Facebook Group as the connector.
In a support page overview, Meta has explained how these new Communities on Messenger will function. As per Meta:
“You can create a dedicated community on Messenger to connect with people with shared interests. These communities are managed by community admins, and can be found and joined by anyone on Messenger. They are not Facebook groups, and do not include the same features as Facebook groups.”
Meta further notes that because these Communities are designed for more public conversations, they are not subject to the same privacy guidelines that apply to personal one-on-one messages in Messenger’s inbox. Instead, the conversations within Communities will follow similar privacy provisions as the chats within Facebook Groups.
In separate news, Meta has also recently launched its ‘Meta AI’ chatbot for WhatsApp business accounts in India and some other markets. This AI chatbot is aimed at helping businesses provide better customer support and product discovery via automated discussion.
The Meta AI chatbot can additionally assist businesses in creating ads for Facebook and Instagram. Aside from this AI tool, Meta has also rolled out its ‘Verified’ program for WhatsApp business app users in India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia.
The key benefits of Verified status include enhanced account support, the ability for employees to use the WhatsApp business app across multiple devices, and a blue verification checkmark being displayed alongside the business name on its WhatsApp Channel and custom page.
So in summary, Meta is adding new community chat spaces in Messenger, AI chatbots for business assistance in WhatsApp, and a verification program – all in an effort to improve communication and discovery for both personal and business use cases across its apps.
