WhatsApp now lets admins check view counts for channel updates
What's the story
WhatsApp has launched a new feature for channel admins on iOS and Android. The update, which is being rolled out to some beta testers, provides admins with an insight into how many people have viewed their updates. The information appears directly within the message bubble and is only visible to the admin. This will help them understand how their posts are performing and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Progress update
Feature 1st announced in beta last year
The feature was first announced in the WhatsApp beta for Android 22.3.24.15 update, with a promise of helping admins gage their posts' visibility.
After over a year of development, it's finally being rolled out to beta testers on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android and iOS.
Now, instead of just relying on forwards, channel admins can directly see how many people have viewed their updates through this new view counter feature.
Functionality
How view count works for admins
When an admin posts an update on their channel, WhatsApp shows a view counter in the message bubble.
The number increases as more followers view it, but only the admin can see this counter.
Followers opening the channel don't see any view count on updates. The feature works identically on Android and iOS devices, allowing admins to check their view counts from either platform.
Upcoming features
Public version of view count in the works
WhatsApp is also working on a public version of the view count feature, which would make view counts visible to all followers of any channel.
This would let followers see how many times others viewed a channel update, not just the admin.
However, this version is still in development and not yet available for testing.