WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, but that also means a lot of misinformation and rumors are shared on the platform. Separating fact from fiction is important, especially with everything this year has thrown at us. Now WhatsApp is starting to roll out a feature that lets users quickly search Google for frequently shared messages to see if there's more info online.

When a WhatsApp message has been forwarded many times, the app displays a special icon to let users know the the message didn't originate from the sender. This can help identify information going viral. Starting today, the company is testing a method to double check messages like these by tapping the magnifying glass button in the chat. The feature uploads the message via the user's default browser without WhatsApp itself reading the contents.

We originally spotted this addition back in March, but the company is now starting to deploy it to users in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and the US. We have access to more voices than ever these days, but sometimes the loudest can be liars. This change won't label information as being true or false directly — it just allows users to research the results of a simple web search themselves. Search the Web functionality will work on the Android and iOS apps, as well as the web client. You can download the latest version of WhatsApp from the Play Store or APK Mirror.

Source: WhatsApp