When you click on a link to a website on WhatsApp, it usually opens the link in your phone’s browser, whichever browser that you have set as your default. However according to the folks at WABetaInfo, it seems that WhatsApp is testing out using an in-app browser, similar to how Facebook links open up within the app’s own browser.
Presumably the idea, similar to having in-line videos, is that it will encourage the user to remain in WhatsApp. This means that when you open the app, you are still technically in WhatsApp and when you close the browser, you can resume your conversation. However it seems that this will be more than just standard in-app browser.
According to WABetaInfo, the in-app browser can actually warn users if the page they’re trying to open is harmful. This should help cut down on malicious links that users might get from spammers every now and then. In addition to an in-app browser, WhatsApp is also testing a reverse image search feature.
This lets users upload an image to Google where it can then be reverse image searched to look for its source (or sources). This can be useful if you’re trying to fact check something, like an image, and want to know if it might have been photoshopped. WhatsApp has a bit of a problem when it comes to fake news, so this feature could come in handy.