WhatsApp is definitely the most popular messaging platform around the world. This application offers multiple handy features and different options users can use to chat with their friends. WhatsApp users can either chat individually, in groups, or broadcast a message. In this article, I will explain what WhatsApp broadcast is, how it works, and what it is good for. So if you would like to get the most out of this great WhatsApp feature, you are in the right place.
What is WhatsApp broadcast?
To put it simple, WhatsApp Broadcast allows you to send the same message to multiple contacts at the same time. This means that by creating a broadcast list, you will be able to type a message and send it to a number of your friends.
WhatsApp broadcast is a great feature and has many benefits. Suppose, you have thrown a party and you want to send the address to a number of your friends. In this case, the broadcast feature of WhatsApp can be a great help to you.
Also, if you are a business owner, you can use the broadcast feature on WhatsApp Business to let your customers know about your new offers and products all at once.
In addition, you might want to send a festival greeting to a number of friends. In this case, the broadcast feature can make this a lot simple for you.
Finally, if you regularly want to inform your employees about new office and company developments, a great way to do so is to broadcast your message via WhatsApp to all your employees at once.
So far, you might be wondering, why not create a WhatsApp group when it does the same thing as the broadcast feature? Well, the truth is that these two whatsApp features have many differences!
Difference between WhatsApp broadcast and WhatsApp groups
In order to understand the difference between WhatsApp groups and broadcast, we need to dig deep in how these two features work. If you have a WhatsApp account, you probably have a WhatsApp group as well. Groups are a place in which all the members are allowed to send messages and read the messages that other members send. However, things are a little different when it comes to the broadcast feature. On Broadcast, one person can send a message to many. This means that there is a one-way conversation in which only the admin sends messages to other users.
In order to better understand the two features, let’s make an analogy with email. WhatsApp group is like using CC (carbon copy) option, while WhatsApp broadcast is like using BCC (blind carbon copy). This means that when you send a CC, you see everyone’s email IDs and their replies on the thread which is similar to WhatsApp groups. But when you send a BCC, you don’t see others email IDs or their replies, which is the same as what happens when you broadcast a message.
When it comes to replying the messages in a group, when a member sends a reply, everyone is able to see the reply. However, in the broadcast mode, the reply will be only sent to the sender.
Lastly, in order to add someone to a WhatsApp group, the person might not necessarily have the admin’s phone number. Also, users can join the group via invite link. However, in WhatsApp Broadcast, the recipient must have the sender’s phone number. Otherwise, the broadcast message will not be delivered to the receiver.
How to broadcast a message on WhatsApp?
In order to broadcast a message on WhatsApp, the first thing you will need to do is to create a broadcast list. In order to create your list, here are the steps you will need to take:
- Launch WhatsApp application on your phone
- on Android, tap the three dots icon on top right corner and then choose New Broadcast. On iPhone, tap on the Broadcast Lists on top left corner under the search box.
- Tap the contacts you want to add to your broadcast list and then confirm it to create the list.
When you create a boradcast list and add members to it, the users will not be notified until you actually send a message.
In order to send a message to your broadcast list, all you need to do is to just open the list, type down your message and send it. The message will be delivered to all the members that you have added to the list. Note! The receiver will have no way to understand that the message they have received is the broadcast type as they receive the message in the normal type.
How to edit a broadcast list?
In order to edit the broadcast list you have created, you can take the following steps. These steps are for Android devices:
- Open the broadcast list you have created on WhatsApp
- Tap on the three dots icon
- Choose the Broadcast list info option and then tap the pencil icon
There are options you can use to edit your broadcast list. You can for example, change broadcast list info such as its name and you can add or remove recipients to or from the list.
Here is how you can edit your WhatsApp broadcast list on iPhone:
- Open the broadcast list on your WhatsApp
- Tap on the “i” icon to enter List info
- Under the names of the participants, you can see the Edit list… option
- You can tap the cross to omit a member or choose a member from your contacts to add to the list.
How to delete a WhatsApp broadcast list?
It is absolutely easy to delete a broadcast list on Android or iPhone. All you need to do is to launch WhatsApp application on your phone. On Android, just long press on the broadcast thread and hit delete. On iPhone, swipe left on the broadcast thread and hit delete.
Deleting a Broadcast list is from the part of the sender. But what if you want to leave a Broadcast list as a member?
As a WhatsApp group member, you can simple leave the group whenever you want. But for WhatsApp Broadcast, the story is a little different. You either need to ask the sender to stop sending you messages or you should ultimately block them. This is the only ways to leave a broadcast list.
I hope you found this tutorial article useful. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to mention it in the comments section.
