Meta has announced a slew of new features for Groups, including a new sidebar, as well as the ability for admins to create chat, audio and feed channels. The sidebar allows users to have more control over their Groups content – they can pin favorite Groups to the top, find related groups, get alerts for new posts, etc.Facebook Groups will also get channels – smaller, more personalized spaces inside Groups. There are three types of channels – community chat, community audio, and community feed channels.
As the name suggests, the chat channels will allow people to get some real-time feedback inside a specific Group. “So when you’re in your new BBQ lovers group and need real-time feedback while attempting your first brisket, an admin can create a chat for that.”
The Audio channels feature is very similar to what Discord is doing with audio chats. Users will be able to “casually jump in and out of audio conversations in real time.” Finally, feed channels will let Facebook users get information on specific topics in a more structured way.These changes are currently in a testing phase but we expect Meta to roll them out for the masses in the coming months.
