How to Create a Community in WhatsApp: A Step-by-Step Guide

A WhatsApp Community lets you connect multiple groups under one umbrella and send announcements to everyone at once. Here is how to create one in under 5 minutes.

Quick steps:

1. Open WhatsApp

2. Go to the Communities tab

3. Tap "New Community"

4. Add name, description, and icon

5. Create or add groups

6. Start using your community

That is the short version. Below is everything you need to know about setting up, managing, and growing a WhatsApp Community.

What Is a WhatsApp Community?

A WhatsApp Community is a container that holds multiple related groups together. Think of it as a folder for groups.

Each community has:

• An announcement channel (only admins can post, everyone receives)

• Up to 50 groups inside it

• A shared member directory

• Centralized admin controls

Example: A school creates a community with separate groups for each grade, plus groups for sports teams, PTA discussions, and event planning. The principal can send snow day announcements to all 2,000 parents at once through the announcement channel.

Communities solve the problem of managing multiple related groups without losing your mind. Instead of copying the same message to 15 different groups, you send it once.

If you want to understand how communities differ from regular groups, check out our guide on WhatsApp Group vs Community.

Who Should Create a WhatsApp Community?

Communities work best when you have multiple groups that share a common purpose.

Good use cases:

• Schools (grade-level groups, activity groups, parent groups)

• Companies (department groups, project groups, office location groups)

• Religious organizations (congregation groups, volunteer groups, event groups)

• Sports leagues (team groups, coach groups, parent groups)

• Apartment complexes (building groups, committee groups)

• Large families (immediate family, extended family, event planning)

• Clubs and hobby groups (regional chapters, interest subgroups)

When a community is overkill:

• You only have one group

• Your groups are unrelated to each other

• You have fewer than 50 total members across all groups

• You do not need to send announcements to everyone

If a regular group handles your needs, stick with that. Communities add management overhead that only pays off at scale.

How to Create a WhatsApp Community on Android

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and find the Communities tab

Open WhatsApp on your Android phone. At the bottom of the screen, you will see tabs for Chats, Status, Calls, and Communities. Tap on Communities.

If you do not see the Communities tab, update your WhatsApp app. Communities require a recent version.

Step 2: Tap "New Community"

On the Communities screen, tap the "New Community" button. If you already have communities, tap the "+" icon in the top right corner.

Step 3: Add community details

You will be asked to provide:

• Community name: Keep it clear and descriptive. "Lincoln High School Parents" works better than "LHS."

• Community description: Explain what the community is for. This helps members understand the purpose when they join.

• Community icon: Upload an image that represents your community. This appears in the community list and helps members identify it quickly.

Tap "Next" when you are done.

Step 4: Create your first group

Every community needs at least one group inside it. You have two options:

• Create a new group: Tap "Create New Group" and set it up from scratch

• Add an existing group: If you already admin a group that fits, tap "Add Existing Group"

For a new community, I recommend creating at least two groups to start. One for general discussion and one for a specific subtopic.

Step 5: Invite members

Once your groups are set up, you can invite members. There are several ways:

• Share the community invite link

• Add members directly by phone number

• Have members scan a QR code

• Let existing group members discover the community

Members who join can choose which groups within the community they want to participate in.

Step 6: Start using the announcement channel

Your community automatically includes an announcement channel. Only admins can post here, but all members receive the messages.

Use this for:

• Important updates everyone needs to see

• Event announcements

• Policy changes

• Emergency communications

Do not spam the announcement channel. Members cannot mute it, so overuse will annoy them.

How to Create a WhatsApp Community on iPhone

The process on iOS is nearly identical to Android.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp and go to Communities

Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone. Tap the Communities tab at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Start a new community

Tap "New Community" to begin setup.

Step 3: Enter community information

Provide:

• Community name

• Description

• Icon image

Tap "Next" to continue.

Step 4: Add groups

Create new groups or add existing ones you admin. Each group needs a name and can have its own icon and description.

Step 5: Invite participants

Share the invite link via messages, email, or other apps. You can also add people directly using their phone numbers.

Step 6: Configure and launch

Review your settings, then start using your community. The announcement channel is ready immediately.

Community Settings You Should Know

Once your community exists, you can adjust several settings.

Admin Controls

Group-Level Controls

Each group inside the community has its own settings:

• Who can send messages (everyone or admins only)

• Who can edit group info

• Who can add members

• Disappearing messages timer

You can have different rules for different groups. A "General Discussion" group might let everyone post, while an "Important Updates" group might be admin-only.

Member Permissions

Community members can:

• Join or leave individual groups within the community

• See announcements from the main channel

• View the community directory (other members)

• Exit the entire community at any time

Members cannot:

• Post in the announcement channel (unless they are admins)

• Add or remove groups

• Change community-wide settings

How to Add Groups to Your Community

You can add groups at any time, not just during setup.

Adding a new group

1. Open your community

2. Tap the community name at the top

3. Scroll to "Groups" and tap "Create Group"

4. Name the group and configure settings

5. Add members or share the group link

Adding an existing group

1. Open your community

2. Tap the community name

3. Tap "Add Existing Group"

4. Select from groups you admin

5. Confirm the addition

Important: When you add an existing group to a community, all current members of that group become part of the community. Make sure they are okay with this before you do it.

Removing a group

1. Open your community

2. Tap the community name

3. Find the group you want to remove

4. Tap "Remove from Community"

Removing a group does not delete it. The group continues to exist independently, it just loses its connection to the community.

Managing Community Members

Adding members

There are four ways to add people:

1. Invite link: Share a link that lets anyone join

2. Direct add: Add by phone number (they must be in your contacts or have WhatsApp)

3. QR code: Generate a code people can scan

4. Member referrals: Let existing members invite others

For controlled growth, use direct adds. For rapid growth, share the invite link publicly.

Removing members

As an admin, you can remove members who violate guidelines or no longer belong.

1. Open the community

2. Tap the member's name

3. Select "Remove from Community"

Removed members lose access to all groups within the community and stop receiving announcements.

Approving join requests

If you enable "Approve New Members," you will receive requests when people try to join.

1. Open your community

2. Go to "Membership Requests"

3. Approve or decline each request

This adds friction but gives you control over who enters.

How to Use the Announcement Channel

The announcement channel is the most powerful feature of WhatsApp Communities. Use it well.

What to post

• Time-sensitive information (schedule changes, emergencies)

• Major updates that affect everyone

• Event reminders

• Policy announcements

• Welcome messages for new cohorts

What not to post

• Casual conversation (use groups for that)

• Frequent minor updates (people will tune out)

• Content only relevant to some members (post in the relevant group instead)

• Promotional spam

Best practices

Keep it rare. Every announcement should matter. If you post daily, people stop reading.

Keep it short. Get to the point. Long announcements get skimmed or ignored.

Keep it clear. Use simple language. If there is an action required, say exactly what it is.

Time it right. Do not send announcements at 2 AM. Respect time zones if your community spans multiple regions.

For more on effective community communication, see our community engagement best practices.

Admin Roles and Responsibilities

Running a community takes effort. Here is what admins actually do.

Day-to-day tasks

• Monitor groups for rule violations

• Respond to member questions

• Approve or decline join requests

• Post announcements when needed

• Remove spam or inappropriate content

Periodic tasks

• Review and update community guidelines

• Add new groups as needs emerge

• Remove inactive groups

• Onboard new admins

• Check member feedback

Admin team structure

For small communities (under 200 members), one or two admins is enough.

For larger communities, consider:

• Head admin: Overall responsibility, final decisions

• Group admins: Manage specific groups within the community

• Moderators: Handle day-to-day moderation but cannot change settings

WhatsApp allows up to 20 admins per community. Use them.

For guidance on running a tight ship, check our community moderation guidelines.

Setting Community Guidelines

Every community needs rules. Without them, chaos follows.

What to include

1. Purpose statement: What is this community for?

2. Behavior expectations: Be respectful, no spam, no harassment

3. Content rules: What can and cannot be shared

4. Consequences: What happens if rules are broken

5. Contact info: How to reach admins with concerns

Sample guidelines

Community Rules

1. Be respectful to all members

2. Stay on topic in each group

3. No spam, ads, or self-promotion without admin approval

4. No sharing of personal information about others

5. Keep announcements channel for admins only

6. Report issues to admins privately

Breaking these rules may result in removal from the community.

Where to post guidelines

• Pin them in the announcement channel

• Add a summary to the community description

• Create a dedicated "Rules" group if needed

• Send to new members when they join

Growing Your WhatsApp Community

Once your community runs smoothly, you might want to expand it.

Organic growth strategies

Word of mouth: Ask satisfied members to invite others who would benefit.

Cross-promotion: Mention your community in related spaces (social media, websites, other groups).

Value-first approach: Make the community so useful that members naturally tell others about it.

Events and activities: Host discussions, Q&As, or collaborative projects that attract new participants.

Paid promotion

If you are building a community for business purposes, you can promote it through:

• Social media ads with your invite link

• Influencer partnerships

• Content marketing that drives to your community

For more on building communities that grow, see our guide on community marketing strategies.

When to stop growing

Bigger is not always better. A community of 500 engaged members beats 5,000 inactive ones.

Stop actively recruiting when:

• Engagement starts dropping

• Moderation becomes overwhelming

• The community loses its focus

• Quality of discussion declines

Keeping Members Engaged

A dead community helps no one. Here is how to keep yours alive.

Create reasons to participate

• Ask questions that invite responses

• Share content that sparks discussion

• Recognize active contributors

• Run polls and surveys

• Organize virtual or in-person events

Remove friction

• Keep group count manageable (do not overwhelm with choices)

• Make sure the right conversations happen in the right groups

• Respond to questions quickly

• Welcome new members personally

Monitor health metrics

Pay attention to:

• How many messages per day/week

• How many unique participants

• How quickly questions get answered

• Member growth vs member exits

If engagement drops, diagnose why. Maybe the content is stale. Maybe the groups are too noisy. Maybe members got what they needed and moved on.

For activities that boost participation, check out our community engagement activities guide.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Problem: Nobody is posting

Causes: Members do not know what to say, feel intimidated, or do not see value.

Fixes:

• Seed conversations yourself

• Ask specific questions rather than open-ended ones

• Highlight and thank people who do participate

• Make sure the community purpose is clear

Problem: Too much noise

Causes: Off-topic posts, spam, or a few members dominating.

Fixes:

• Create separate groups for different topics

• Enforce stay-on-topic rules

• Set some groups to admin-only posting

• Privately message over-posters

Problem: Members are leaving

Causes: Not getting value, too many notifications, or community drama.

Fixes:

• Survey departing members if possible

• Review notification settings and posting frequency

• Address conflicts quickly and fairly

• Refocus on delivering value

Problem: Admin burnout

Causes: Too much work for too few people.

Fixes:

• Recruit more admins

• Delegate group-level moderation

• Set office hours instead of 24/7 availability

• Automate what you can (welcome messages, FAQs)

WhatsApp Community Limits

Know the boundaries before you hit them.

These limits change occasionally. WhatsApp tends to increase them over time.

FAQs

How do I create a WhatsApp Community?

Open WhatsApp, go to the Communities tab, tap "New Community," add a name and description, then create or add groups. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

Can anyone create a WhatsApp Community?

Yes. Any WhatsApp user can create a community. There are no special requirements or approvals needed.

How many groups can I add to a WhatsApp Community?

Up to 50 groups per community. Each group can have up to 1,024 members.

Can I add an existing group to a community?

Yes, if you are an admin of that group. When you add it, all current members become part of the community.

What is the announcement channel?

It is a special channel where only admins can post but all community members receive the messages. Use it for important updates that everyone needs to see.

Can members leave individual groups but stay in the community?

Yes. Members can join or leave specific groups within the community without leaving the community entirely.

Can I remove someone from the community?

Yes. As an admin, you can remove any member. They will lose access to all groups within the community.

Is there a WhatsApp Community for desktop?

Yes. WhatsApp Web and the desktop app support communities. You can create and manage communities from your computer.

How do I delete a WhatsApp Community?

Open the community, tap on the name, scroll down, and select "Delete Community." This removes the community structure but individual groups can continue to exist independently.

Can I convert a group into a community?

Not directly. You create a new community and then add your existing group to it.

Quick Reference

To create a community: Communities tab → New Community → Add details → Create groups → Invite members

To add a group: Open community → Tap name → Add Existing Group or Create New Group

To send an announcement: Open community → Tap announcement channel → Type message → Send

To add an admin: Open community → Tap name → Members → Select member → Make Admin

To remove a member: Open community → Tap name → Members → Select member → Remove

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