Meta has announced that it is bringing its Telegram-inspired broadcast channels feature to Facebook and Messenger in the coming weeks. The feature is already available on Instagram and WhatsApp, and it allows creators and public figures to share one-to-many messages with their followers.
The feature will come to Facebook and Messenger in the coming weeks. The news was announced by Meta in a blog post. Mark Zuckerberg also posted the same in his Facebook post.
“Broadcast channels are a public, one-to-many messaging tool for Pages on Facebook and are the latest addition to Facebook’s robust set of tools that Page admins such as creators and public figures can use to directly reach and further engage with their communities,” read Meta’s blog post.
Broadcast channels support text, images, polls, reactions, and more. Only the creator of the channel can send messages, but viewers can react to messages and vote in polls.
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Meta says that broadcast channels offer a place for followers to feel even more connected and dive deeper on the things that matter most to them. For example, a Page admin could use a broadcast channel to share behind-the-scenes content, announce new products or services, or host live Q&A sessions.
To create a broadcast channel on Facebook or Messenger, you need to have a Page on Facebook. You can create your channel directly from your page. Once you have created a channel and the first message is sent, followers of your Page will receive a one-time notification to join the channel.
“In broadcast channels, only people with full or partial control of a Page can send content. People who join a broadcast channel can read and react to messages in the channel, as well as vote in polls, but they cannot send messages,” informs Meta.
The launch of broadcast channels on Facebook and Messenger is the latest sign of Meta’s focus on competing with Telegram. Telegram is a popular messaging app that is known for its strong privacy features and its support for large groups and channels. It is also one of the closest competitors of WhatsApp, a messaging platform now owned by Meta.
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