Meta quietly rolls out Communities on Messenger
Meta is quietly introducing a new feature called "Communities" on Messenger, as confirmed by the company to TechCrunch. This feature is specifically tailored to facilitate communication within organizations, schools, and other private groups in a more structured and organized manner.
Earlier in 2022, Meta had already introduced Communities on WhatsApp, allowing individuals to connect with others without the need for an associated Facebook Group. Building upon this, Meta subsequently rolled out Community Chats on Messenger later in the year, providing a platform for real-time connections within Facebook Groups.
Expanding Messenger's Functionality
This recent launch signifies Meta's strategic move to enhance Messenger's functionality and distinguish it from other messaging services such as iMessage. By incorporating this new feature, Meta aims to introduce a broader social networking dimension to the messaging app, enabling users to discover and engage with their communities directly on Messenger.
Key Features of Communities
The Communities feature consolidates multiple group chats into a centralized location, with each Community offering a designated "Home" space for administrators to share updates and announcements. Meta indicates that up to 5,000 individuals can join a community through shareable invites.
This feature is versatile and can be utilized to establish dedicated spaces for various entities such as organizations, schools, PTAs, neighborhoods, or interest-based groups. For example, neighborhoods can create Communities to stay interconnected and informed about different topics like upcoming events, security alerts, or local schedules. Similarly, schools can utilize Communities to engage parents across different grade levels.
Connecting Through Messenger Communities
While Messenger Communities bear resemblance to their counterparts on WhatsApp, Meta emphasizes one significant distinction. Messenger Communities are intricately linked to Facebook's social graph, enabling builders to expand their communities by inviting Facebook friends and friends of friends, unlike WhatsApp which relies on phone numbers for invitations.
According to Meta's help page, Communities on Messenger are tailored for more public conversations compared to Facebook groups, ensuring that all members, both current and future, have visibility into chat content.
This new feature is gradually being rolled out to users worldwide, offering a seamless communication experience across various contexts, regardless of the nature of the interaction.
