How to Create a WhatsApp Channel and Get Followers
Updates, then Create channel, a name, done. How channels differ from groups, what followers can do, Promoted Channels and subscriptions, and getting followers.
To create a WhatsApp channel, open the Updates tab, tap More or the plus sign, tap Create channel, then Continue, add a name and tap Create channel again. They're the steps in WhatsApp's help center. A channel is a one-way feed: you post, and followers react or vote in polls. Nobody joins by accident. "Users can't be added to a channel without choosing to follow it," WhatsApp says.
We read Meta's June 2025 announcement on channels and Qualimero's guide (updated April 6, 2026) through our server, and WhatsApp's help center as Google showed it, on October 23, 2026. WhatsApp's help site turns our reader away.
"How to create whatsapp channel" gets about 2,900 searches a month, and "how to create a whatsapp channel" another 1,900.
How do you create a WhatsApp channel?
WhatsApp's help center gives these steps:
- "Tap Updates > More (three vertical dots)."
- "Tap Create channel > Continue."
- "Add a channel name."
- "Tap Create channel."
In some versions, a plus sign sits next to the Channels heading. Qualimero's guide says to tap "the Plus symbol (+) to the right of the 'Channels' heading" on Android. It also suggests adding "a description and a profile picture," which you can change later.
How is a channel different from a group?
| Channel | Group | Broadcast list | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who talks | You post to followers | Everyone | You, one to one |
| Phone numbers | Hidden | Everyone sees them | The recipient sees yours |
| Size | Unlimited | Up to 1,024 | 256 per list |
| Replies | Emoji and polls | Text and media | A private chat |
Qualimero (updated April 6, 2026), read October 23, 2026.
Followers can't write back in the channel. They "can only react with emojis or participate in polls," Qualimero says, citing Shopify. Phone numbers stay private on both sides: "subscriber phone numbers are not visible to the admin," and "Your number as admin also remains hidden." You can share the work too. Qualimero says "You can add up to 16 additional admins."
How do you get followers on a WhatsApp channel?
It's worth starting with people who already know you. Share the channel's link in your chats, your Status, your bio and other apps. Then give them a reason to stay, with regular posts and polls.
WhatsApp now helps channels get found too. In June 2025, Meta said the Updates tab "is now used by 1.5 billion people per day globally," and announced Promoted Channels: "For the first time, channel admins have a way to increase their channels' visibility." Promoted channels show up in the directory where people look for new ones. Meta said it would roll the features out "slowly over the next several months."
Some channels also buy a starting number so the channel doesn't look empty. Hclout sells WhatsApp channel followers from $4.63 per 1,000 on its WhatsApp page, and members and reactions too, read October 23, 2026. Weigh that the way you'd weigh any seller.
Can you make money from a WhatsApp channel?
Meta is building a way. Its June 2025 announcement introduced channel subscriptions: followers will be able to support a channel "by subscribing to receive exclusive updates for a monthly fee." It said subscriptions, promotions and ads "will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats." Check your app to see if they've reached your country.
Is a WhatsApp channel private?
For your followers, yes. WhatsApp says users only "see updates for the channels they choose." Meta's announcement adds that for ads it uses "limited info like your country or city, language, the Channels you're following," and that it "will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers."
To clean up WhatsApp itself, see how to delete a WhatsApp message and how to block someone on WhatsApp. For a channel on another app, see how to make money on Telegram.
Frequently asked questions
Can channel followers see my phone number?
No. Qualimero says the admin's number stays hidden, and followers see only the channel name and picture.
Can followers reply in a WhatsApp channel?
Only with emoji reactions and poll votes.
How many people can follow a WhatsApp channel?
There's no set limit, Qualimero says.
Can I add other admins?
Yes. Qualimero says up to 16 more.
How do people find my channel?
Through your link, and in the channel directory in the Updates tab, where Promoted Channels can appear.
Sources
- WhatsApp Help Center, "How to create a WhatsApp Channel," "About creating a WhatsApp Channel" and "Building Private, Safe, and Secure WhatsApp Channels," as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Meta, "Helping You Find More Channels and Businesses on WhatsApp," June 16, 2025, and Qualimero, "How to Create a WhatsApp Channel," updated April 6, 2026, both read through our server on October 23, 2026
- Hclout's WhatsApp page and /v1/services, read October 23, 2026
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 23, 2026
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