WhatsApp is increasingly embracing social media with a new Channels feature that allows accounts to create and view messages at scale, without sharing personal data.

At its core, WhatsApp is a direct messaging and calling app, meant for one-on-one or small group conversations, but Channels aims to expand on this broadcast messaging. With the rollout of Channels, you can now create or join channels that cover different topics, without sharing your profile image or phone number.

A channel admin, whether an individual or a business, can post messages in a variety of formats, from text and polls to photos and videos (and stickers). They act as a one-way street for sharing various types of information (sports scores, shipping updates, news, etc.) that followers can view but not directly interact with or comment on. Admin information like phone numbers and profile pictures remains hidden, and the same goes for a channel’s followers.

These messages will remain visible to channel followers for up to 30 days (or less, depending on future updates), after which they will disappear across all devices. WhatsApp says administrators will also be able to block screenshots and message forwarding, as well as hide the channel from general search and control who can follow the channel.