Whatsapp is actually a messenger. However, new functions have been introduced again and again in recent years – such as status. This has now been expanded with so-called “channels” – however, many users find the function annoying. But there is a trick with which you can hide the channels.

Send messages, pictures or videos – Almost everyone uses WhatsApp and is one of the most popular messengers in the world. However, the app is now much more than that and can almost be viewed as a social network. Because you can use the status to keep friends up to date – comparable to a story Instagram.

The makers have now gone one step further and introduced so-called “channels”. According to WhatsApp, the channels are intended to be a way to “receive important updates from individuals and companies directly (…)”.

However, not every user is enthusiastic about this function – on the contrary: many people are annoyed by the channels, as can be seen from social networks.

Can you deactivate the channels?

The clear answer is: unfortunately no. You cannot deactivate the channels on WhatsApp. If you don’t want updates from football clubs and influencers, you shouldn’t subscribe to the channels at all. However, if you already follow some channels and want to deactivate them, you can unfollow them.

And it works like this: Select the channel, then go to the circle with the three dots and finally click on the “Unsubscribe” item. After that you will no longer receive updates from the respective channel.

You can also mute channels

There is another option: If you follow a channel but don’t want to constantly receive new updates, you can also mute it. To do this, go to the respective channel, click on the bell symbol and the notifications are muted.

Data protection is often a big topic on Whatsapp. The channels are not end-to-end encrypted.

To ensure data protection with the new function, neither administrators nor other members of the channel have their phone numbers or other data visible.