WhatsApp image search feature may help you find if the picture is fake or real

WhatsApp is testing 'search image' feature with a new beta update for Android to combat fake news that spreads via photos. The new feature will let you upload any received image directly to Google to find similar or equal images on the web, according to WABetaInfo. This feature will easily let you know whether the picture is fake or genuine. The new search image feature was discovered in the latest WhatsApp beta update 2.19.73.

In India, WhatsApp has become a major channel for fake news and easily reach millions of people across the country. With Lok Sabha polls right around the corner, the search image tool will be a small step from the Facebook-owned company to further minimise the spread of fake and objectionable content via its platform. The feature will direct users to Google the image and the search results can help them find out if an image is authentic or has been photoshopped by reading the info on the web related to that image.

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According to WABetainfo, WhatsApp will use official Google APIs to search for the images on the Web. Once the image is uploaded on Google, WhatsApp will open the browser to show the search results. However, the feature hasn't been enabled yet for the people who have downloaded the updated beta.

The introduction of reverse image search feature is an ongoing effort from WhatsApp to control the spread of misinformation. WhatsApp had earlier introduced message forwarding limits and forwarding notification to curb the menace.

The new search image feature is separate from the Advanced Search feature which was in the news recently. The Advance search feature lets the user look for and search wide variety of messages in the app itself, unlike the search image which uses the prowess of Google.

Also Read: WhatsApp working on 'Advanced Search' feature; to help search multiple types of messages