New Delhi, 1 May

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta Platforms Inc., on Wednesday announced updates for WhatsApp Communities, enhancing group interactions and organization capabilities.

The new features include the ability for groups within a WhatsApp community to create events and for community members to reply to admin announcements within Community Announcement Groups.

Mark Zuckerberg shared the news on his WhatsApp Channel, stating, "If you're in a WhatsApp Community, you can now create events in your groups and reply to admin announcements. Over the next few months more groups will be able to create events."

Since its launch, WhatsApp Communities have been instrumental in connecting people with common interests, such as neighborhoods, school associations, and hobby groups.

The new features aim to further strengthen these connections by facilitating event organization within WhatsApp groups and enabling organized replies to admin announcements. The introduction of events makes it easier for community members to plan gatherings directly within WhatsApp, whether it's a virtual meeting or a birthday dinner.

Any member can create an event, and others can RSVP, allowing the entire group to know who will be attending. Events will be accessible from the group's information page, and attendees will receive automatic notifications as the event approaches. Initially, events will be available for groups within Communities and will gradually roll out to all groups over the coming months.

Additionally, replies to Announcement Groups will allow members to provide feedback to admin announcements while maintaining the simplicity of these groups for catching up on community updates.

Replies will be grouped together and minimized for easy viewing, with notifications muted for all members. In India, numerous organizations, including Rocket Learning, Project Stepone, and Pinkishe Foundation, are utilizing WhatsApp Communities to stay connected and organised in their efforts to drive social impact across the country.

These organisations serve as examples of how Communities can help streamline communication and collaboration among multiple groups with a common goal.

Over the next few months, Meta Platforms Inc. plans to introduce more features to Communities and groups, providing users with additional tools to organize their lives effectively on WhatsApp. Updates will be shared on the WhatsApp Channel directly within the app. —ANI