- WhatsApp will let you use Google to reverse image search received images
- This may offer context and warnings for altered or misleading images
- The feature is currently rolling out to beta testers
WhatsApp is adding a new feature to make it easier to check received images for authenticity in an effort to combat the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation, and misleading content.
A new update will enable users to access Google reverse image search from within WhatsApp directly, which may in turn provide context and any evidence of manipulation or misleading the audience.
This update ostensibly aims to give users quick access to a basic form of fact-checking in an era where online misinformation presents as a major issue.
The feature was found by WaBetaInfo in a scan of the latest test build (version 2.24.23.13) of the Android version of WhatsApp – we aren’t sure yet whether the new feature will be coming to iOS.
To access the new feature, users simply need to open the image from the WhatsApp chat, tap the options menu represented by three vertical dots, and select “search on web”.
It’s important to note that this won’t always return contextual information – this is more of a benefit of Google’s reverse image search than a guaranteed effect, and the function may just return similar images.
And as Android Authority notes, the feature being hidden away in the options menu means it might take a while before reverse image searching becomes standard procedure – not that it should be considered the end-point of fact checking either.
WhatsApp is well-known for its approach to privacy, and all messages sent through to platform are sent with end-to-end encryption.
As a pop-up note states when the feature is activated, images processed through the new reverse-search feature are shared with Google but not with WhatsApp directly.
The new Search on web feature is currently rolling out to beta testers, but we expect to see widespread availability soon.
For the latest official updates as we hear them, be sure to keep up with our dedicated WhatsApp coverage, and Android coverage.