WhatsApp officially launches update limiting forwards to five at a time for Indian users

Instant messaging service WhatsApp, has officially restricted the number of forwards for its Indian users to five at a time.

The Facebook-owned company released a statement saying that the limit has started to appear for people in India, this week, who are on the current version of WhatsApp.

WhatsApp will also publish a new video that explains the importance of the ‘forward’ label and asks users to ‘double check’ the facts when they are not sure who created the original message.

This limit is applicable in India for its 200 million users who use the app on a regular basis. If one attempts to send more than five forwards, the application will prompt the user about the restriction. The user can still send the message to more people, however not at once.

In India, people mainly use the app to forward content over engaging in normal chats. WhatsApp has been in the news lately for a spate of violent lynchings due to fake news circulated through the platform.

WhatsApp has released a string of updates in the recent weeks to tackle the issue fake news. The company recently tested a 'Suspicious Link' feature which could automatically check links for authenticity.