Meta's Rolls Out New Feature For Messenger Users, WhatsApp-Like ‘Communities’ Feature Released

Communities feature was first seen in WhatsApp but now it will also be seen in Meta's Messenger app.

This new feature will help schools, private groups, and organisations to interact with each other in a more coordinated and structured way.

Source : Meta

Recently Meta has tried to make the Messenger app a bit more like WhatsApp. Meta introduced the new 'Communities' feature on Messenger. This newly introduced feature enables users to join a community without them needing to be a member of a Facebook group. This feature was first seen in WhatsApp back in 2022 and now it is accessible to all Messenger users as well. Meta also offered group admins the ability to create a community with up to 5,000 members who chat in real time. However, earlier Meta made it mandatory for group members to be part of the same Facebook Group in order to chat.

Meta while explaining how communities will operate on Messenger, said, “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."

It added, “Since communities on Messenger are designed for more public conversations, they do not follow the same privacy guidelines as your personal messages on Messenger, and instead follow similar privacy guidelines as community chats associated with Facebook groups."

It seems like this new feature will be most beneficial for schools, private groups, and organisations. It will help them interact with each other in a more coordinated and structured way.

Meta Rolls Out AI Chatbot

In other developments, Meta has recently introduced its AI chatbot, Meta AI, for WhatsApp business accounts in India and various other countries. This feature is designed to help businesses enhance customer support and discover new products.

The AI chatbot will also assist businesses in creating ads on Facebook and Instagram. Additionally, Meta has rolled out its Verified program for WhatsApp business app users in India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia.

Verified users will receive improved account support and the capability to use WhatsApp on multiple devices for their employees. These verified business accounts will also display a blue checkmark next to their business name on the WhatsApp Channel and custom WhatsApp pages.