WhatsApp new features : search the web and text disappearing
The Facebook owned messaging app WhatsApp is planning to roll out a long speculated feature that would put an end to fake news. After almost all major social media platform has given into the idea of disappearing photos or disappearing text(in case of snapchat), the company has decided to make a move towards next big thing, that is disappearing text. Twitter has already made it a popular feature, and WhatsApp is planning to introduce this feature in the future updates.
Search The Web:
The company announced the “Search The Web” feature for Android and iOS users that would let users verify the messages that have been forwarded to them. Earlier, it was reported that WhatsApp is indeed working on a feature that would let users check the authenticity of the message. Whatsapp is well known for spreading rumors - by "Whatsapp university", so the 'search the web' feature has been rolled out to curb the spread of fake news through whatsapp.
Earlier, WhatsApp had introduced double arrows to mark the messages that have been forwarded so that users can figure out whether the message that has been sent to them is forwarded or original. “WhatsApp provides a special forwarded label to messages shared in chats that have been forwarded many times. Earlier this year, we set limits on how many times they can be sent at once to maintain the private nature of WhatsApp,” the company said in a blog,
WhatsApp had also imposed a restriction on the number of forwarded messages, as per the latest rule, users cannot forward messages to more than one person at a time. The messaging app had taken the step in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic to stop non-credible information from being spread. Now, WhatsApp has launched a feature that would let users take an extra step to verify the messages without blindly forwarding them.
Whatsapp has come up with a simple way to double-check the messages by tapping on the magnifying glass button in the chat, providing a simple way to search messages that have been forwarded many times may help people find news results or other sources of information about the content they have received
The messaging app has rolled out the feature in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and US, and in order to get the feature, the users will have to update to the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android, iOS and WhatsApp Web. The company didn’t reveal when the feature would be available for users in India but one can expect the rollout to happen soon now that the feature has been officially announced.
Disappearing Text :
In the wake of advancement of features, the WhatsApp has also planned to introduce a next big thing i.e. disappearing text. According to WABetaInfo, a website that tracks the latest updates on WhatsApp’s beta version, has re-spotted a feature that allows users to send text messages that disappear after a set period of time. When the feature was first spotted by WABetaInfo, there were no details provided to the user. However, the latest update shows that WhatsApp maybe closing up to the final version of the feature.
The pop-up in the 2.20.197.4 beta update, now tells the user that if the feature is turned on, the messages in that chat window will disappear after seven days. This message is just like to that of a snapchat where it depends on the user whether he/she wants text to be disappear or saved.
This update is only released in the beta version of whatsapp. (Whatsapp beta for android lets you enjoy latest additions to the messaging service before they hit the final release on the google playstore.) There are no specific dates or proposed duration for the release of this anticipated feature.