WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users. Two of the key features on WhatsApp that enable communication among multiple people are groups and communities. While there are some similarities between groups and communities, there are also important differences that users should understand.
What are WhatsApp Groups?
WhatsApp groups allow up to 256 users to exchange messages, photos, videos and other media in a shared space. Some key features of WhatsApp groups include:
- Any WhatsApp user can create a group by choosing participants from their phone’s contact list.
- The group creator can name and describe the group.
- All members can post messages which are visible to everyone in the group.
- Admins can add or remove participants and make other users admins.
- Groups are end-to-end encrypted for security.
- Users can mute groups if they wish to not receive notifications for a period of time.
WhatsApp groups are ideal for small work teams, families, friends and other close-knit circles to communicate efficiently in a private setting. The maximum 256 users still allows for intimate conversations. Some disadvantages are that groups can get unruly with too many active users and there is no hierarchy or moderation by default.
What are WhatsApp Communities?
WhatsApp Communities are a relatively newer feature that aims to enable communication between larger organizations and groups. Key features include:
- Communities can have up to 10 groups within them with up to 256 users per group, meaning over 2500 members.
- The community overall has a name, description and profile picture.
- Group admins within the community have more tools to manage their groups.
- Admins can send community-wide announcements.
- Specialized groups within the community facilitate wider topics and moderation.
WhatsApp Communities are well-suited for companies, schools, nonlocal organizations and other large entities that need a private place to engage with many people. The specialized sub-groups keep communication topical and manageable.
Key Differences
While WhatsApp groups and communities enable group messaging, there are several key differences:
| Feature | WhatsApp Groups | WhatsApp Communities |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Up to 256 members | Over 2500 members across sub-groups |
| Purpose | Casual shared forums | Focused forums with moderation |
| Admin Tools | Limited | Advanced (announcements, control over sub-groups, etc) |
| Chatting Experience | Single shared space | Segmented by sub-groups |
As this table summarizes, WhatsApp Communities provide more structure through sub-groups, more moderation tools, and support far larger organizations. WhatsApp Groups are better suited for small, casual discussion between friends and family.
Creating WhatsApp Groups and Communities
Creating a WhatsApp Group
It just takes a few taps to create a WhatsApp Group:
- Open the WhatsApp app and tap on the Calls tab.
- Tap on the New Group option at the top.
- Select contacts from your phone book to add to the group. Tap on the checkmark when finished.
- Name your group and tap Create.
The group is now created and you can start messaging other participants. Users you add will receive an invite they have to accept.
Creating a WhatsApp Community
Creating a Community is also straightforward:
- Tap on the New Community option within WhatsApp.
- Give the Community a name, description and profile picture.
- Tap on Create Community.
- You can now start adding Groups within your Community.
After creation, admins can manage groups and send announcements from the Community controls. WhatsApp provides step-by-step instructions during setup.
Usage Statistics
WhatsApp Groups and Communities have very different usage as of late 2022:
| Feature | Monthly Active Users |
|---|---|
| WhatsApp Groups | 2 billion |
| WhatsApp Communities | 100 million |
As you can see, WhatsApp Groups significantly outnumber Communities in terms of general worldwide usage. This is expected given Groups have been available for nearly a decade, while Communities just launched in 2022. However, Communities adoption is growing rapidly among organizations.
Managing Groups vs Communities
There are some key differences when it comes to managing WhatsApp Groups versus Communities:
Group Admin Tools
- Add or remove participants
- Promote other users to be admins
- Change group name, image, description
- Delete messages
- Mute group notifications
Community Admin Tools
- Add/remove/promote admins
- Create Groups under the Community
- Manage settings and moderators for each Group
- Send announcements to the entire Community
- Analyze participation with analytics
As you can see, Community admin tools are more robust, providing top-level control over Groups as well as Community-wide messaging and analytics. Managing Groups is more focused on chat settings and user roles.
Use Cases
Some examples of how WhatsApp Groups and Communities are used include:
WhatsApp Groups Use Cases
- Coordinate plans between friends
- Chat with family members
- Organize a sports team
- Small work teams
- Share pictures from an event
- Game chat between online players
WhatsApp Communities Use Cases
- Customer service for businesses
- Provide student resources at universities
- Connect employees within a large company
- Share news and events for a city or group
- Allow fans to interact with influencers
- Facilitate communication within religious congregations
In summary, WhatsApp Groupsexcel at small casual chats while WhatsApp Communities enable structured communication at scale across organizations.
Conclusion
WhatsApp Groups and Communities have distinct use cases. WhatsApp Groups provide a simple way for small groups of friends, families or teammates to chat in an intimate setting. WhatsApp Communities allow huge organizations to bring together thousands of people across sub-groups and interests to communicate under one umbrella with better moderation.
Groups excel at unstructured conversations within up to 256 members. Communities offer robust admin tools and communication channels across organizations. Evaluating your messaging needs and size will determine which option is best suited.
Overall, having both WhatsApp Groups and Communities fills different communication needs. Small circles can thrive in Groups, while large entities like companies and schools can organize around Communities with their enhanced tools. Understanding the differences empowers users to leverage WhatsApp messaging for their specific situation.