Users will not need an account’s phone number to sign up, and messages will disappear after 30 days. However, unlike the app’s messaging service, posts will not be protected by end-to-end encryption.
The new feature could see WhatsApp face new pressure if accounts with large followings post illegal or inflammatory content. The app has largely focused on individual conversations and group chats but the channels feature will bring it closer to other social media apps. However, it insisted that private messages would remain the app’s priority.
Users will be able to search for channels in a central directory. WhatsApp also suggested that it could charge people to promote channels, which could bring in revenue for the free app.
The channels will appear similar to a conventional chat, but without the ability to message back, and will feature in a new section of the app.
WhatsApp’s chief executive Will Cathcart has already warned that the app could be shut down in Britain if incoming online safety laws mean regulators asking it to break encryption.
Rival apps such as Telegram have long had a similar channels feature, which is especially popular in Eastern Europe and India to follow government accounts and famous figures.
Instagram has been developing a more conventional Twitter alternative, with live posts and replies featuring in a feed. Many users have tried Twitter rivals such as Mastodon and BlueSky since Mr Musk’s takeover.