In short: A WhatsApp community brings up to 100 related groups under one name, with an announcements space where admins can message every member. It holds up to 2,000 members. To create one, go to the Chats tab, start a new chat, tap New community and follow the steps. You can’t currently create one in the WhatsApp Business app. Facts from WhatsApp’s Help Center, as of November 2026.
What a community is
Think of a school. Each class has its own group, and the head needs to reach everyone at once. A community holds those groups together, and Community Announcements is created automatically so admins can message all members.
How to create a community
From WhatsApp’s steps:
- Go to the Chats tab and tap the new chat icon.
- Tap New community.
- Tap Get started.
- Enter a name of up to 100 characters, plus a description and icon if you want them.
- Confirm.
The limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Groups in a community | Up to 100 |
| Members | Up to 2,000, counted across its groups and announcements |
| Admins | Up to 20 |
| Name | Up to 100 characters |
When a community is full, nobody new can be added until someone leaves.
The catch for businesses
WhatsApp says you can’t currently create a community in the WhatsApp Business app. You can own one there only if ownership was transferred to you from a consumer app user, or you created it on the consumer app and then registered that number as a business. Plan for this before you build around a community.
What admins can do
Community admins can promote other admins, change the name and description, add or remove groups, and report or remove abusive accounts. Only the admin who created the community can deactivate it, and members who leave a community also leave its groups.
Community, channel or broadcast?
- Community: related groups with shared announcements, such as schools, societies and customer clubs.
- Channel: one-way public updates with no replies.
- Broadcast list: the same message in each person’s own chat, with private replies.
For customer messages at volume, the WhatsApp Business API is built for the job.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a community on WhatsApp Business? Not currently, according to WhatsApp, though there are the two ownership routes above.
Can members message everyone in a community? Announcements is the space for admins to message all members. Members talk in the groups they join.
How is a community different from a group? A group is one conversation of up to 1,024 members. A community organises up to 100 groups under one name.
Customer and partner groups taking over your phone? See how Risponse brings groups into one inbox.