WhatsApp is enhancing its functionality for groups, something that is evident since communities are on the way and the app recently increased the maximum number of participants to 512 people. But still there wasn’t much control over who can join a group something the application is now working on.
In a new novelty discovered by WaBetaInfo, the administrators of a group will be able to activate manual approval of new membersso that no one can just join the group, even if they have a direct link to join the group.
You do, you do not enter the group
There are mainly two ways to join a group: that an administrator puts you in the group without further ado and through an invitation link. The first method is instant (you’re not even asked for permission, though you can prevent some of your contacts from putting you in groups by changing your privacy settings). With the second method you receive the link and decide if you want to join or not.
Where there was no control was in the group itself, since there is no moderation of new members– Anyone with the invite link can jump in and potentially read a few messages before an admin notices and kicks them out of the group.
For more control of who can join a group, the app is working on manual approvals of new members, which will be optional. Once active, any new person who wants to join a group will need to be approved by an administrator before actually joining that group.
The feature is still half-baked but, according to WaBetaInfo, in the future the options section of a group will include a new section where administrators can manage requests pending people who want to join the group. It is similar to how, for example, Facebook groups work, as well as in other messaging applications.
Mentions of new user moderation appear in WhatsApp 2.22.14.6 for Android, although it is not currently active. It is likely to be released at the same time the role of communities which is still pending.
Via | WaBetaInfo
