WhatsApp brings back forward button shortcut, did you notice?

Popular chat company WhatsApp gets frequent updates to fix bugs as well as launch new features. It is hard to keep a count of exactly how many WhatsApp updates do we receive in a month which is why sometimes we miss on noticing some of the updates. Also not every WhatsApp update is as significant as receiving group call feature or ability to add stickers to chat. One such update is the enabling of the forward shortcut button in WhatsApp.

To recall, WhatsApp last year had removed the forward shortcut button in a bid to combat the spread of fake news on the platform. Nearly 30 lynching cases were reported in India during the year 2017-2018 linked to rumours and fake news spread through the WhatsApp platform, the government sent two notices to the company asking it to take steps against the fake news problem. The company made forwarding difficult by removing the forward shortcut button, adding "forwarded" label to messages if they have been forwarded, and limiting the number of forwards to five.

The chat app with the latest update which bumps the app version to 2.19.11 re-enables the forward shortcut button which once again makes it easier to forward any media but there's a catch. The shortcut button allows you to quickly forward a media but forwarding is limited to five person at a time.

WhatsApp version 2.19.11 brings several other updates as well like the new dictating feature that allows you to dictate a message to the app and send it to your contact. The update adds an inbuilt mic to the app's keyboard which lets you dictate your message but you have to press the send button manually to send across the message. The feature is available for both iOS and Android users.

iOS users have also received the ability to add stickers to photos or videos, private reply feature and 3D touch options. Private reply feature which has been on Android platform since November last year allows you to reply to a group participant privately in a group chat without other participants knowing about the message. The feature is used in a group chat but directs you to the private chat upon using it.