You’ll soon be able to send images and videos on WhatsApp that’ll automatically self-delete after the recipient has viewed them.
On Tuesday, WhatsApp introduced “View Once” photos and videos for the chat platform. The function, which is rolling out this week to all users, promises to help safeguard your privacy and free up storage on your smartphone.
“While taking photos or videos on our phones has become such a big part of our lives, not everything we share needs to become a permanent digital record,” the company wrote in a blog post. “On many phones, simply taking a photo means it will take up space in your camera roll forever.”
To access it, the View Once function will appear as a special button inside the caption bar when you send an image or video file over the app.
The function will be especially handy when sharing sensitive information to friends or family, such as a password. However, it’s important to note the recipient can still take a screenshot or screen recording of their phone. So the View Once function is best used with trusted individuals.
The View Once images and videos will be marked with a “one-time” icon, indicating the media will disappear after the file has been opened and viewed.
“After the media has been viewed, the message will appear as ‘opened’ to avoid any confusion about what was happening in the chat at the time,” the app said. The View Once media also can’t be shared, starred or forwarded to anyone else.
If the View Once file isn’t opened in 14 days after being sent, it’ll automatically self-delete.
“As with all the personal messages you send on WhatsApp, View Once media is protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot see them,” the blog post added. That said, a recipient can choose to report a View Once media file to WhatsApp for breaking the rules. If that happens, a copy of the View Once media will be sent to WhatsApp.
