WhatsApp adds events and replies to communities 🗓️

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Since their introduction, communities on WhatsApp have generated a lot of interest among users. This week, WhatsApp announced the addition of two new features for communities: events and replies.

Organize events directly from WhatsApp  📅

Event planning just got easier within communities on WhatsApp. Accessible via the 📎 menu on Android or ➕ on iOS, this new option lets you organize physical or virtual events. Anyone can organize an event. As for other members, they can indicate their participation, allowing the group to know who will be present. Invitees will find details of the event in the group’s information, and those taking part will receive automatic notification as the date approaches.

Creating an event is simple:

1. From your community group chat, tap 📎 on Android or ➕ on iOS > Event.
2. Enter an event name, time and date.
3. If you like, you can also add an event description, location or WhatsApp call link.
4. Tap the arrow in the bottom right on Android, or Send on iOS when you’re finished.

Notes

• Event descriptions can be up to 2048 characters.
• WhatsApp call links can be added to events up to 60 days in advance.
• You can add links from other platforms, such as Zoom, in the event description.

For now, this feature is only available in groups that are part of a community, but WhatsApp plans to make it available in all groups in the coming months.

Now you can express your opinion in the announcement groups 💬

A few weeks ago, a major new feature was introduced to community announcement groups on WhatsApp. This week, the messaging service officially announced it: members can now reply to messages in announcement groups. Previously, only administrators could post messages in these groups. Now, they will also be able to receive replies from community members. Replies are grouped under each message to which they are linked. Confidentiality is preserved, with only usernames and part of the numbers (the first two and last two digits) displayed.

Are you a member of a WhatsApp community? If so, what do you think of these new features? Tell us in the comments section.