WhatsApp Makes It Easier to Keep Randos Out of Communities, Search for Friends

Are your WhatsApp communities getting a little unwieldy? The chat app this week rolled out(Opens in a new window) new features to help admins maintain control of their groups and members to keep tabs on which friends are in which communities.

The Meta-owned platforms introduced Communities—a secure online space for large crowds to chat—in late 2022. Initially, anyone could join a chat using the invite link provided by any member. Moving forward, it’s up to the group’s boss to allow others into the discussion.

“As more people join communities, we want to give group admins more control over their group privacy,” WhatsApp says. “Groups are where people have some of their most intimate conversations, and it’s important that admins [can] easily decide who can and cannot come in.”

For group members, it’s hard enough remembering where you know someone from when you meet them in person—let alone while interacting online, so the app wants to help people keep track of new friends.

“Whether you’re trying to remember the name of a group you know you share with someone or you want to see the groups you’re both in, you can now easily search a contact’s name to see your groups in common,” WhatsApp says.

Both features will begin rolling out globally over “the coming weeks.” This announcement comes on the heels of other recent changes, including picture-in-picture support(Opens in a new window) for video calls and new Status updates(Opens in a new window). WhatsApp is also reportedly testing an “Expiring Groups” feature that lets users set group chat expiration dates.

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