Does WhatsApp limit “frequently forwarded” messages to one chat at a time?

The claim: A friend told me that WhatsApp won't let you forward some messages to more than one chat at a time, and that this is why the forward button sometimes behaves differently. I checked.

What we found

• In April 2020, WhatsApp announced on its official blog a limit for messages that have already been forwarded through a long chain, marked with double arrows: they "can only be forwarded to one chat at a time".
• WhatsApp said the aim was to slow down the spread of rumours and misinformation, which had increased at the time.
• These messages carry a "Forwarded many times" label with a double-arrow icon, which is how you can recognise them.

Verdict

True. WhatsApp limits messages that have been forwarded many times to one chat at a time. Messages forwarded fewer times can still be sent to up to five chats at once.

Why it matters: when you see the double arrows, the message didn't start with the person who sent it to you. That's your cue to check before passing it on.