WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.23.18.20.
What’s new in this update? WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to manage who can add members to communities, and it’s available to some beta testers!
| Common questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Name of the feature? | Who can add members – communities |
| Status? | Rolling out |
| Compatibility? | WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.20 is marked as a compatible update, but some users may be able to get the same feature by installing the 2.23.18.19 update. |
| I’ve installed this update but I don’t have this feature. Why? | This feature is available to some beta testers, and it is rolling out to more users over the coming days. |
| Thanks: | Technical MJ TV, for testing and reporting. |
| Previous news? | WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.18.1.70: what’s new? WhatsApp is rolling out a persistent HD button within the drawing editor! |
WHO CAN ADD MEMBERS
In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.12.13 update, we announced a new feature available to some beta testers: community settings. With this feature, WhatsApp aimed to provide community admins with more control over their communities by offering new features to manage permissions. In the mentioned update, they released an option that allows community admins to decide who can add groups to the community. Instead, thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.20 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, WhatsApp is now rolling out an additional option for community admins!
As you can see in this screenshot, a new community setting is available and it allows community admins to decide who can add members to the community. The default option restricts this action to community admins, providing them with the exclusive ability to directly add members. However, there may be certain situations where community admins wish to provide the same opportunity for anyone to add members directly. In such cases, they can select the “everyone” option.
In our opinion, this feature is a significant enhancement for community admins, providing them with greater flexibility and control over their groups and other community members. Specifically, we can consider it as an additional layer of control, allowing community admins to choose who can add members directly. It’s very important to note that everyone can still add members to the community if they have a valid community invite link generated by the community admin. This means that the new option only allows community admins to manage who can manually add new members to the community, even without requiring a community invite link.
The feature to manage who can add members to community groups is available to some beta testers that install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and it is rolling out to even more people over the coming days.
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