WhatsApp is working on Communities, a way to create groups within groups

Yo dawg, I heard you like groups, so here is a group within a group

WhatsApp is working on several new features like message reactions, new privacy controls, encrypted cloud backups, multi-device support, and more in a bid to better compete with the likes of Telegram and Signal. Now, new screenshots detail another new feature under development for the Facebook Meta-owned messaging platform: Communities. First spotted by XDA Developers over a month ago, WABetaInfo is providing more insight into it today.

The report details that Communities will give admins more control over groups and enable them to create groups within groups. This may be similar to how Discord allows users to create channels within a server. Admins should be able to invite other users to a Community using an invite link or by scanning a QR code. After joining, a user may not be able to send messages immediately, depending on the community settings. Like regular chats, a community chat in WhatsApp will also be end-to-end encrypted for added security.

Communities will have a squircle icon to better differentiate them from group chats, a layout that WhatsApp accidentally enabled for profile photos in October before rolling it back. WhatsApp should also offer additional tools to group admins to better manage a community. However, details on these tools and how Communities will work are light at the moment, as the feature is still a work in progress.

From what it sounds like, Communities should be a helpful addition for large WhatsApp groups where multiple topics are simultaneously discussed like in an online classes group. These conversations can be broken down into Communities, making it easier for admins to manage a group. WhatsApp tends to test new features in beta for a few months before bringing them to the public, so Communities should also make their way to the beta channel first whenever it is ready.

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