WhatsApp is developing a new ephemeral messaging feature that will allow users to send text messages designed to disappear after they have been viewed once. This functionality is currently in development and is not yet available to beta testers.
View-Once for Text
The upcoming feature will expand on WhatsApp’s existing view-once option, which is already available for photos, videos, and voice notes. According to reports, users will be able to send text messages as view-once by long-pressing the Send button after typing their message. A dropdown menu will then present the option to “Send as view once.” Once sent, the recipient will be able to open the message only one time before it becomes inaccessible.
This new capability is expected to be available in both individual chats and group conversations. The platform has indicated that this feature will not be implemented in channels, as the nature of broadcast communication is considered unsuitable for ephemeral messages.
Expanding Ephemeral Options
This development follows recent work on another ephemeral messaging enhancement. A previous WhatsApp beta build revealed efforts to introduce an “After reading” option to the app’s existing disappearing messages feature. Currently, WhatsApp officially supports disappearing messages that vanish after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days. The new “After reading” option, which has not yet been broadly released, would allow messages to disappear immediately after being read by the recipient.
The introduction of view-once text messages is anticipated to be a useful addition for users who have been seeking more granular control over message privacy. It is suggested that this feature could provide a workaround for users who have previously resorted to adding text to an image and sending it as view-once media.
While the feature is still in the development phase, it is expected that WhatsApp will begin rolling it out to some beta testers on iOS in the near future, paving the way for a wider release to all users.
Norman Pearlstine is the Chief Editor of News Raise and focuses on Business news. His responsibility is to oversee the editorial content including business, commodities, personal investments and the stock market.
