WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.21.31: what's new?

WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program, bringing the version up to 2.24.21.31.
What's new in this update? WhatsApp is working on a feature to search shared images on the web, and it will be available in a future update!

In the article about the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.20.28 update, we announced that WhatsApp was working on a new feature to search links on the web. This feature is designed to help users quickly verify the authenticity of links found in messages, especially in frequently forwarded content, which could contain misinformation or altered content. It appears that WhatsApp is focused on further improving this feature by adding the ability to search images, allowing users to easily verify the authenticity of images they send and receive. Thanks to the latest WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.21.31 update, which is available on the Google Play Store, we discovered that WhatsApp is working on a feature to search shared images on the web!

As you can see from the attached screenshot, WhatsApp is exploring a new feature that allows users to search images on the web, scheduled for release in a future update. This new image search feature will allow users to quickly find more information about a specific image they receive. This could be especially useful for identifying misleading or fake images, which are often shared with the intent to deceive. For example, users may receive an image that has been altered or taken out of context, and this feature will help them verify its source and authenticity by searching for similar images or the original version on the web.

When users initiate a search for an image, it will be uploaded to Google for the search. It's important to note that while the image is sent to Google, it is never shared with WhatsApp, ensuring that WhatsApp itself does not store or process the image or its caption. This added layer of privacy ensures that personal media shared within conversations remains secure without compromising user privacy. Users might want to use this feature to verify the legitimacy of images shared in their conversations from news stories, social media posts, or memes, which might be manipulated to spread misinformation.

It's worth noting that the image search feature will be available for all images, regardless of how they were shared or frequently forwarded. This means users can search for more information about any image they receive, whether it was sent by a close contact or came through a forwarded message. This feature is particularly useful in helping users verify the source of an image, identify potential fake news, or confirm the authenticity of a photo circulating on social media. On the other hand, the ability to search links on the web will only be available for frequently forwarded messages. As with the link search feature, using the image search will be entirely optional. Users will have full control over whether they want to initiate a search or not, ensuring that no data is shared without their explicit action.

A feature to search shared images on the web is under development and it will be available in a future update. We will keep you updated with an additional article as soon as we have more details to share about this feature.

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