WhatsApp, a platform where people can chat not only with each other but also in groups, brings out a new update for group messaging, in order to make the feature more functional for admins. The main idea behind group chats was that a single news can be conveyed to a group of people without having to message each member individually. But sometimes the important news is lost in general talks and chatting.
This new update now allows admins to restrict other members to message in the group. Admins can enable the new function by going to ‘group settings’. There will be a menu option of Send Messages under the Group Settings, which will have two options: ‘Only Admins’ and ‘All Participants’. By selecting ‘only admins’, regular members of the group will no longer be able to send messages, photos, video, etc. to the group, but will still be able to receive new messages and notifications. WhatsApp will inform all the other members present in the group about the change in settings. This way the groups can be converted into a one-way notice board. If something important is to be sent, the sender can ask the admin to quickly change the settings. People now don’t have to scroll up to find the message they are looking for in the group. It will be right there.
WhatsApp posted a blog announcing the launch of this new feature. The blog said “Today, we’re launching a new group setting where only admins are able to send messages to a group. One way people use groups is to receive important announcements and information, including parents and teachers at schools, community centers, and non-profit organizations. We’ve introduced this new setting so admins can have better tools for these use cases.”
This new feature gives more power to the admins and can surely be a useful one.