Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that significantly enhances how users interact with channels. Currently rolling out to some beta testers, the update allows users to conveniently browse photos, videos, GIFs, and links shared in channels—improving content discovery and retrieval across the app.
Streamlining Channel Navigation
In channels that regularly share a high volume of media and updates, scrolling through the entire history to find specific content was a time-consuming and often frustrating experience. WhatsApp’s latest improvement addresses this issue by introducing a dedicated section for media and links in the channel info screen.
Read More: US will abandon Ukraine peace push if no progress soon, Trump and Rubio say
Previously, this functionality was only available in individual and group chats, where users could view all shared media in one place. With the new update, channel followers and admins can now enjoy the same convenience. The new section functions similarly, allowing users to scroll through all shared photos, videos, and GIFs without needing to remember dates or the context of the original message.
Starred Updates Feature in Development
Alongside the media browsing enhancement, WhatsApp is also developing a feature that allows users to star specific channel updates. Much like the starred messages feature available in private and group conversations, this will let users save important posts within a channel for quick access later.
Though still under development, this feature is expected to provide further utility by enabling users to bookmark significant messages—particularly helpful for channels that post announcements, schedules, or recurring updates.
Content Retrieval
One of the biggest limitations in WhatsApp channels until now was the lack of a proper search mechanism for non-text content. While users could search for keywords, finding a specific image or link without knowing the text it was shared with was nearly impossible.
The new media and links section resolves this by offering separate tabs within the channel info page, allowing users to locate images, videos, GIFs, and web links directly. This segmentation ensures faster browsing and minimizes time wasted on scrolling or manual searching.
Beta Testing and Gradual Rollout
The media browsing feature is part of the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.13.2 update and is currently available to some beta testers via the Google Play Store. More users are expected to receive access in the coming weeks as the feature is gradually rolled out.
WABetaInfo, a trusted source for WhatsApp updates, confirmed the rollout and shared a screenshot showing how the feature works within the channel interface. Users can simply navigate to the channel info section and tap the new “Media, Links, and GIFs” area to view the shared content.
Read More: Hezbollah ‘will not let anyone disarm’ it, says chief
Channels are quickly becoming a core communication tool within WhatsApp, especially for creators, news publishers, brands, and communities that need to broadcast updates at scale. By making content retrieval faster and easier, WhatsApp is positioning itself as a more effective and organized platform for one-way communication.