WhatsApp makes sharing channels easier
It should come as no surprise that tech companies copy each other. Even if the ideas are worked on simultaneously and without influence from another company, if one brand introduces a certain feature first, everyone will feel that it was the brand that introduced the feature. This may apply to usernames on Signal and WhatsApp. A few days ago, Signal introduced public usernames to enhance user anonymity. Now WhatsApp designers revealed that they are working on a similar but slightly different feature.
According to Aetna from ISNA, it was previously reported that WhatsApp is testing tools to provide usernames for its users, but this did not happen. This is exactly the feature that Signal has just announced for its platform. According to a report by the authoritative website WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is now designing a channel usernames feature to make it easier to share and find channels. It is thought that channels will receive a personalized link based on their username, making it easier for people to log directly into the platform from other social networking apps.
People on the WhatsApp for Android beta program via Google Play don’t have access to this new feature yet, but reviews suggest it’s in the works. The latest beta version of WhatsApp is 2.23.24.17 and since it has been six months since the feature was reported by WhatsApp, users may have to wait even longer.
Channel usernames will probably clear up any confusion people have when sharing channels with long names. In the future, when in addition to channels, regular users also receive usernames, it will be easy to find anyone in this application.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other apps, has experience in adding usernames. In 2016, the company added this feature to Facebook Messenger, making it easy to follow links related to people’s profiles.
According to a report by Android Police, WhatsApp is constantly adding new features, and Meta has finally found a way to monetize the messenger by introducing ads in channels.