WhatsApp's new feature is a game-changer for community organizers, bringing a wave of relief. This update streamlines event planning within communities, enabling users to schedule events, like birthday parties or PTA meetings, directly within the messaging app. Gone are the days of juggling between multiple platforms or apps for event management.

With this feature, every member of the group is empowered, making them feel valued and integral to the community. Whether it's a small gathering or a large-scale event, anyone can use this feature to organize an event that others can react to. This inclusivity fosters a sense of community and togetherness.

How Does It Work?

This feature will be initially available to groups connected to a community, with other groups gradually gaining access in the coming months. This gradual rollout ensures that everyone has a chance to adapt and participate, fostering a sense of inclusivity and patience.

WhatsApp also allows for announcement group replies. This means that administrators can use these groups to inform everyone in the community about updates. To keep things organized, replies will be grouped, and users won't get alerts for them. With this update, we want to improve communication between administrators and members while maintaining the efficiency of announcement groups.

In November 2022, WhatsApp launched Communities to help connect communities, school organizations, hobbyist groups, and more. The firm promises to keep adding additional services for organizations and communities in the upcoming months.

Meta stated in its blog that it will "keep rolling out new features to Communities and groups" in the coming months to offer users tools "to keep their lives organized on WhatsApp."  

In March, Meta added a function to pin multiple messages to WhatsApp conversations. This WhatsApp feature in the current version keeps more messages at the top of the chat, underneath the name and menu tabs, to keep the most critical ones visible, as said in a previous TechTimes report. Users may define a timetable for when the pinned message stays in place in private and group chats with this functionality. 

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(Photo : -/AFP via Getty Images)  A picture taken on March 23, 2022 in Moscow shows the US instant messaging software Whatsapp logo on a smartphone screen.

'Tens of Millions' Using WhatsApp in Secret

According to WhatsApp's CEO, "tens of millions" of individuals secretly use messaging apps in nations where it is illegal to utilize technological means.

In an interview with BBC News, Will Cathcart emphasized how common these workarounds are despite prohibitions from several nations, including China, North Korea, Iran, Syria, and, more recently, Syria. Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE limit WhatsApp voice calls.

Cathcart observes that WhatsApp can locate users based on their registered phone numbers, even after bans. Millions of people are still connecting to WhatsApp in nations where access is restricted, 

Moreover, Cathcart called the restriction in China "unfortunate," noting that Android users could still obtain WhatsApp from illegal sources. The prohibition caused Apple to withdraw WhatsApp from the country's App Store.

The WhatsApp CEO also underscored the importance of WhatsApp's proxy service, introduced in June last year, and virtual private networks (VPNs) in ensuring platform accessibility.

In addition, he covered the larger background of internet freedom and the difficulties technological platforms have in preserving users' security and privacy in the face of governmental restriction and monitoring. Cathcart stressed the significance of privacy in the digital era and highlighted worries about government initiatives, notably in the UK, to weaken end-to-end encryption. 

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