Channels are one-way updates: the channel's admins post, and followers read and react. You find them in the Updates tab, and following one does not show your phone number to the admins or to other followers.
Channel vs group
- In a group, everyone can chat and all members can see your number.
- In a channel, only admins post. You can react with an emoji or vote in polls, but you can't reply in the channel. Admins can't see your number or profile photo unless they already have you saved as a contact.
Find and follow a channel
- Open WhatsApp and tap Updates at the bottom.
- Scroll past the status updates to Channels.
- Tap Explore or Find channels (on iPhone you may also see a + next to Channels), or use the search icon at the top and type a name.
- You can filter by country, category, newest or most active.
- Tap Follow next to a channel, or open it and tap Follow at the bottom. It now appears in your Channels list.
You can also follow from a channel link (it starts with whatsapp.com/channel/). Tap it and then tap Follow. Our own directory Share also lists WhatsApp channels by topic.
Mute a channel
New channels you follow are usually muted, so you only see a counter in Updates. To turn sound alerts on or off:
- Open the channel.
- Tap the bell icon at the top, or tap the channel name › Mute / Unmute.
Unfollow a channel
- Android: open the channel › tap ⋮ › Channel info › Unfollow. Or press and hold it in the list › Unfollow.
- iPhone: open the channel › tap its name › Unfollow Channel. Or swipe left on it in the Updates list.
- Confirm. The admins are not notified by name.
Is the channel real?
Some official channels have a green or blue verified tick next to the name. Without a tick, a channel called "SBI Official" or a famous person's name may be fake. Check the follower count and the link on the brand's own website.
If it doesn't work
- No Channels section: update WhatsApp. Channels may not be available on very old phones.
- Channel link says not available: the channel was removed, or it is blocked in your country.
- You see a message instead of posts: some channels limit content by age or region.
Safety tip
Channels can't call or message you directly, but links inside posts can lead anywhere. Never pay for "guaranteed" stock tips, betting tips or job offers you see in a channel, and never type a code or PIN on a page a channel sent you to. Report bad channels: channel info › Report.
This is GroupChatOn’s own easy guide. We are not WhatsApp and are not linked with WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp sometimes changes its menus: if a button looks different on your phone, update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
Still stuck?
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Questions, or an error not listed here?
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