What is WhatsApp Communities and how do I use it?

WhatsApp has become the go-to messaging app for billions of people around the world. So when they release a major new feature like Communities, it's worth understanding what it does and how to use it.

In this guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about the new WhatsApp Communities:

What Exactly Are WhatsApp Communities?

Announced in early 2022, WhatsApp Communities are a brand new way to organize your group chats and connect with people on WhatsApp.

Here's a quick overview:

• Groups Within Groups - Communities allow you to have separate groups within an overarching community. So you can have niche subgroups while still being part of the larger community.

• Admin Hierarchy - There is a hierarchy of admins within a Community. Community admins can manage community-wide settings and admins for each sub-group.

• Up to 50 Groups - Each Community can have up to 50 groups within it, with up to 512 people per group.

• 10MB File Sharing - Communities allow you to share files up to 2GB in size, up from the regular 100MB limit.

• Announcement Groups - Admins can send community-wide announcements via announcement groups that all members can follow.

In a nutshell, Communities provides more organization for group chats, better controls for administrators, and more ways to share content and updates.

Why WhatsApp Created Communities

WhatsApp has offered group messaging for years, but Communities aim to improve the experience in a few key ways:

• Scale - Regular WhatsApp groups max out at 256 users per group. With Communities, you can potentially reach 25,600 people across multiple linked groups.

• Structure - Having separate groups under the Community banner allows for more organized, niche groups instead of one giant group chat.

• Moderation - More admin levels and control help manage the chaos that can come with big groups.

• Announcements - The ability to broadcast to the entire Community cuts down on spamming every group individually.

So in general, Communities help make group messaging more manageable as WhatsApp continues to grow. The feature has launched as WhatsApp has passed 2 billion monthly active users worldwide.

How to Create a Community on WhatsApp

Ready to give Communities a try yourself? Creating a Community is simple if you follow these steps:

Step 1: Update to the Latest Version of WhatsApp

First, make sure you’ve updated to the latest version of the WhatsApp app that includes Communities. You can find the app in the iOS App Store or Android Play Store.

Step 2: Tap the New Community Button

Open WhatsApp and tap the new Community icon in the top right, represented by a colorful 3-hexagon symbol.

Step 3: Name Your Community

You’ll be prompted to name your Community. Keep the name clear, simple, and representative of the Community's purpose.

Step 4: Describe the Community (Optional)

You can add an optional description to give new members a better idea of what the Community is all about.

Step 5: Select Community Privacy

Choose who can find and join your Community:

• Public - Anyone can join just via Community invite link

• Private - Only people you approve can join

Step 6: Create Your First Subgroup

With your Community created, it's time to make your first sub-group within it! Tap Add Group to get started.

• Name your group

• Add group members

• Select if group is private or public

Once created, members will see the new subgroup within your overall Community.

And that’s all it takes to create your first WhatsApp Community and group! Now let’s look at managing your new Community.

How to Manage Your WhatsApp Community

As a Community admin, you have some special powers to help manage your network of groups:

Add New Groups

Easily create new groups within your Community by tapping the Add Group button. Mix and match private and public groups as needed.

Edit Community Details

Change your Community name, description, or privacy settings anytime by tapping the Community Info icon.

Mute Notifications

Mute notifications from specific groups if needed. You can also mute the entire Community.

Remove Member Groups

Delete member groups you no longer want associated with your Community.

Delegate Admin Privileges

Appoint other members as admins for your overall Community or for specific sub-groups.

Leave the Community

Don’t want to be part of the Community anymore as an admin or member? Tap Leave this Community to opt out.

Delete the Community

Ready to delete the entire Community altogether? Just hit the trash can icon to erase it completely.

With these admin powers, you have lots of flexibility to shape your Community as needed.

WhatsApp Community Tips and Tricks

Here are some pro tips to help you get the most out of WhatsApp Communities:

Use Communities to Segment Group Conversations

One of the biggest perks of Communities is that you can break up group conversations into more specific niches.

For instance, a local sports club could have these groups within their Community:

• Announcements

• General Chat

• Soccer Team

• Basketball Team

• Events Planning

• Volunteers

Segmenting subgroups like this keeps each chat focused instead of becoming a noisy free-for-all.

Take Advantage of Larger File Sharing

Tired of hitting that 100MB file size limit in regular WhatsApp groups? Communities allow you to share files up to a whopping 2GB in size!

This is perfect for sharing high-res photos, videos, PDFs and other large documents within your Community.

Make Sure to Name Groups Clearly

With the potential for dozens of groups within a Community, using clear and descriptive names is essential.

For example, group names like “Volunteers - January Drive” and “Soccer Team - Practices” help members instantly know what each group is all about.

Enable Automatic Media Download Selectively

Don’t want 2GB videos auto-downloading on your phone in certain groups? You can disable media download for specific member groups instead of the entire Community.

This way you can choose which groups you want to auto-download content from versus saving that space.

Promote Community Discovery with Public Groups

Enabling public groups within your Community makes it easier for people to find your Community by topic. This can help grow your member base organically.

Just be sure public groups have clear descriptions and rules to set expectations.

Those are just a few tips and tricks for making the most of your WhatsApp Community. Now let’s answer some frequently asked questions.

WhatsApp Communities: FAQs

Here are answers to some common questions about the new WhatsApp Communities feature:

How many members can a Community have?

Across all subgroups, a single Community can have up to 100,000 members.

Is WhatsApp adding ads to Communities?

WhatsApp has said there will be no ads within Communities currently. The focus is on user experience not monetization.

Can Communities be migrated from other apps?

There is no migration path currently from other apps like Slack or Discord. Communities will need to be built directly within WhatsApp.

How many admins can a Community have?

There is no set limit on the number of admins a Community can have. But for organization's sake, it helps to be selective.

Will WhatsApp add more features to Communities?

Given this is the first version, WhatsApp will likely continue improving Communities over time with new features. But the core basics will likely remain the same.

Can I create a Community on WhatsApp desktop?

Currently, Communities can only be created and managed through the mobile app, not desktop.

Hopefully these answers address some of the most common questions around the capabilities and limitations of this new WhatsApp feature.

The Future of Messaging With WhatsApp Communities

While still early days, WhatsApp Communities have the potential to take group messaging to a whole new level. Whether you want to stay connected with a hobby group or coordinate a large volunteer network, Communities make it more manageable.

And for WhatsApp, Communities help them maintain their foothold as messaging shifts more towards group communication. With billions of existing users worldwide, they are uniquely positioned to make Communities a potential game-changer.

Of course, only time will tell if Communities catch on and become a staple part of the WhatsApp experience. But given the app's scale and resources, Communities stands a good chance of succeeding and evolving.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide gave you a comprehensive overview of how WhatsApp Communities work and how you can utilize them for your own groups and networks. Check them out for yourself and let us know your thoughts!