WhatsApp continues work on Communities but the feature is still some way off

Whatsapp Message Hero (Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

What you need to know

WhatsApp continues to work on its Communities feature.
Communities will allow admins to bring multiple groups together under a single banner.
A new screenshot has been shared that shows part of the setup process.

WhatsApp continues to work on its Communities feature but it isn't ready quite yet. In fact, the feature still isn't available to those who are on the WhatsApp beta program, either.

Despite that, WABetaInfo has been able to get hold of a screenshot that appears to show part of the Communities setup process. The screenshot describes what Communities will offer and appears to be right from the beginning of that process.

Whatsapp Communities Onboarding (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

Bring your groups together Add the groups you manage to one place for easy accessReach everyone at once Send announcements to all members and keep them updated

A similar screen has reportedly already been seen attached to the Android version of WhatsApp but again, the feature isn't available for use over there yet, either.

There is no timeline for when Communities will be available for people to use and it seems like the feature could be some ways off given the fact it isn't even being beta tested yet. However, the feature is real and will presumably ship eventually. We'll be keeping an eye out for more information and a beta release in the future.

WhatsApp is one of the best iPhone apps for people who want to communicate with Android users in a world where iMessage is not cross-platform. That's a situation that seems very unlikely to change any time soon, too.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.