Exactly two years ago, in November 2020, WhatsApp introduced for the first time i messages ephemera, a feature that could be activated and that allowed the user to give an “expiration date” to the entire chat. This would be deleted automatically depending on the time you set (24 hours, 7 days or 90 days). At the same time another novelty had arrived: i timed multimedia messageswith which WhatsApp aimed to replicate Telegram’s self-destruct messages.
WABetaInfo reports that a merger between the two features just described is on the way, with i timed text messages. You can then send a single written message and choose “view once”. This way the message will self-destruct – for both the sender and the receiver – when it is read.
How timed text messages will work on WhatsApp
The new feature is already available in the latest beta of WhatsApp for Android (version 2.22.25.20). Once you send a timed message (called view-once), the recipient will not be able to share or forward it, exactly as it already happens for timed photos and videos. We can therefore assume that it will also be impossible to take screenshots.
Timed messages are a big step forward in terms of privacy. Unlike ephemeral messages, which delete the entire conversation, view-once messages can be useful for share content that could not be seen by any third party who have access to the cell phone and conversations. For example, we may need to share any sensitive information or passwords, so the message will disappear after being received.
It is not clear when the feature will officially arrive on the app, but the fact that it is present in the Beta suggests that the tests are in the final stage. In the meantime, among the latest WhatsApp news we point out:
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