WhatsApp, a renowned messaging platform owned by Meta, has revealed its plan to introduce a major change that will significantly impact its users. The company announced the expansion of WhatsApp channels to 150 countries, including Spain, as part of its strategy to transform the application into a hub for information and communication. This development will bring about a change in the familiar ‘status’ feature as we know it.

The channels on WhatsApp are spaces where users can follow updates from various sources such as media, businesses, or content creators. This new feature takes a leaf from similar broadcast channels on Instagram and Telegram, signaling a considerable shift in the app’s interface. Therefore, the ‘status’ tab, previously used by users to view temporary posts from their contacts, will be renamed ‘news’ and shifted to the centre of the bottom bar. However, status updates won’t disappear entirely; they will be relocated to a top row within the ‘news’ tab. The objective is to gradually encourage users to seek more information beyond just updates from friends and family.