WhatsApp testing Instagram-like Boomerang feature: Report

According to WABetainfo, a platform that tests WhatsApp features before they are released to the general public, the option will be available in the Video Type panel (the same that allows the users to convert a video to GIF) when the video is less than 7 seconds. It can be used to create a boomerang of videos to send to contacts and/or for use as a status update. It also says that initially, the feature will first be available on iOS, and then for Android.

Recently, WhatsApp rolled out its ‘Frequently Forwarded’ feature in India. The feature was introduced to curb the spread of fake news through the platform. It was reported that the feature does not seem to be live for all WhatsApp users. Those who got the feature on their versions of the app, will now see “forwarded many times” on a message if they forward a message that has been forwarded multiple times before.

The notification will appear against messages that have been forwarded more than five times. Whether its a text or a media file, all of them will have a double “forwarded” arrow icon. However, the number of times that the message has been forwarded will remain end-to-end encrypted.

“We’ve recently introduced an update to our forwarded message label that helps people identify when they’ve received messages that were previously forwarded several times, such as a chain message. These highly forwarded messages will be marked with a double arrow icon and users will receive a notice when they are forwarding such a message,” a WhatsApp spokesperson was quoted as saying.