Presto WhatsApp could leave us delete messages that are even three months old, so that both those who sent them and those who received them can no longer see them. The feature, which at launch allowed only messages sent within eight minutes to be removed, is about to be extended. The proof would be in the app code.
WhatsApp: we will be able to delete messages sent even three months ago
The developers of WhatsApp Beta Info, who have demonstrated on countless occasions their ability to anticipate the announcements of the messaging app by analyzing the beta code, have struck again. They have indeed found lines of code that extend the maximum limit to delete messages sent on WhatsApp, and a lot.
When the feature was launched, the time limit was only eight minutes. It was therefore only used to delete a message if you realized that you had made a mistake of some kind (grammatical, a wrong address, a name that it was better not to do). Or if you sent a message to the wrong person.
But soon the functionality was extended to an hour. And with the beta 2.21.23.1, this time even extends to three months. This means that it will not only serve for careless errors, but it could allow you to delete messages that you have regretted today, or that are no longer valid.
Like any beta feature, it needs to be thought of as something that’s being tested. The three-month limit may change or even not arrive at all. But the code proves it’s something WhatsApp is considering. Also because rival apps like Telegram e Signal allow you to delete messages already sent when you want, without leaving any trace, while WhatsApp leaves a message to say that avete deleted il message.
Finding a balance is not easy: erasing conversations completely and without a trace can fuel the phenomenon of “gaslighting“. This happens for example when a person who has harassed someone says he has never had anything to do with it. It will be interesting to understand the approach adopted by WhatsApp in dealing with the issue of deleting messages.