WhatsApp will soon let users check how safe links sent to them are

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new update that will allow users to search links on the Web. Currently available as part of the latest beta update, the new functionality will offer users a tool to look up a link on the internet to check if it is safe to visit. The Meta-owned company will use services, including Google Search, to check if the links, especially the ones forwarded several times, are not malicious or contain misinformation.

According to a report by WABetaInfo, the latest WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.24.20.28 has a new tool that warns a user against the potentially malicious nature of a link forwarded too many times. According to the screenshots in the report, a message reading “Get more info about this message. Search on web” will appear on top of a message containing a link. Tapping the message will throw a pop-up bottom sheet with actionable buttons on the screen. Users can “get info about link” and “search for text” using Google. WhatsApp also informs users that tapping either button “will upload only this message to Google,” while the rest of the chat messages will remain encrypted.

Since WhatsApp aims to curb misinformation and the spread of malicious content, the search links on web functionality will work only for messages that have been forwarded multiple times. Once sent to Google, the message's authenticity will be verified and the user will receive the necessary information, including how safe the links are to visit. The report said this refined feature aims to make it easier for users to identify potentially harmful links and take appropriate action. However, it also highlighted that this is an optional feature and would work only if initiated, “making sure that users maintain complete control over their data and browsing activities.”

WhatsApp has not said anything officially about the feature, but its existence hints at an impending launch. Currently, the feature is available to beta testers but will be rolled out to stable users soon.