All you need to know about the new Channels feature on Instagram

Last Thursday, Meta company launched a new feature on Instagram called "Channels". It enables content creators and influencers to share messages and latest updates with their followers, similar to the Channels feature on the popular app Telegram.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, announced the feature by launching his own Meta Channel, which he will use to announce new updates related to the company's products, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and the company's plans for metaverse and other products.

This is similar to what Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, does with his own channel, called "Durov's Channel", where he shares latest updates with his followers.

Instagram Channels allow content creators to broadcast messages and updates to a wide audience of followers who choose to follow the channel. However, followers will not be able to post on the channels, although they can interact with the content through emojis and voting in opinion polls. Content creators can use text, images, videos, and voice notes to share their latest updates and behind-the-scenes moments, as well as create opinion polls to gather feedback from their followers.

How do Instagram Channels work?

Once the channels feature becomes available on the application, content creators can begin a new channel through direct messages on Instagram. When the first message is sent in the channel, followers will receive a one-time notification to join.

After creating the channel, content creators can also encourage followers to join by using the "Join Channel" sticker in stories or by pinning the channel link in the Bio section of their account.

Only followers who join the channel will receive notifications when there are updates, although anyone can discover the channel and view the content. They will not receive notifications of updates until they join.

Followers can leave any channel at any time or mute notifications, and they can also control notifications from content creators by going to their accounts, clicking the bell icon, and selecting "Broadcast Channel."

For content creators who want to create an open channel for all followers, they must make sure to set the audience to "All followers." There is also an option to create a channel that is restricted to subscribers or supporters only, allowing them to broadcast exclusive content.

How to join Instagram channels

You can access the link to the channel you want to join on your phone through the Join sticker posted by the content creator in their story or through the link posted on their account or as a current follower, as you will receive a one-time notification when the content creator you follow starts a new channel.

Once you've accessed the channel, click on the "Join broadcast channel" option. People who don't follow the content creator will be asked to follow them first before they can join the channel.

After joining the channel, it will appear in your Instagram inbox. Followers can interact with the content through emojis and vote in polls, but they cannot send messages. They can also share their favorite channel links so that their friends can follow and join them."

When will the channels feature be available to everyone?

Instagram is currently testing the channels feature with a few content creators in the United States and plans to roll it out globally in the coming months. Meta, the parent company, also plans to introduce the channels feature in Messenger and Facebook in the coming months.

Interested creators can also sign up to join the waitlist through this link, but they must join through their phone.

Can abusive channels be reported?

In the announcement post of the feature, Meta stated that channels are subject to Instagram community guidelines. Therefore, people can report the channel itself or specific content posted in the channel, as it can be removed if it violates platform policies.