WhatsApp is finally testing a new feature to help you fact-check messages

WhatsApp
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WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will help you check online to see if what is said in the messages you receive is actually true. A new search function will enable people to fact-check message and obtain greater context about what is being said.

Fake news and misinformation have been something of a problem online for a while now, but when a global crisis strikes, it's particularly noticeable. Social media is a  hotbed of maliciously false – as well as just misguided – information, and more and more platforms are fighting back.

Facebook and Twitter have already introduced fact-checking services, and moderators are jumping on certain messages about coronavirus in case they spread dangerously inaccurate information. WhatsApp just launched a coronavirus data hub, and it is currently testing a new search option.

A spokesperson for the company told TechCrunch: "We are working on new features to help empower users to find out more information about the messages they receive that have been forwarded many times".

Twitter user @shrinivassg shared screenshots of how things are looking in the beta version of the messaging app:

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Fighting for truth

The new feature will enable WhatsApp users to perform a web search based on the contents of messages that have been forwarded to them. This will hopefully make it easier for people to determine the reliability of a message, and to think twice before mindlessly forwarding it on.

There is no precise timetable for when this feature will roll out to the main version of the app. For now, WhatsApp says: "This feature is currently in testing, and we look forward to rolling it out in the near future".

Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson
Freelance writer

Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.


Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.


Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.


You can find her on Twitter and Mastodon.