"WhatsApp" Tests Message Disappearance Feature Immediately After Reading to Enhance Privacy

SadaNews - The popular messaging application "WhatsApp" has begun testing a new feature that allows text messages to disappear immediately after being read by the other party, as a new step to enhance the level of privacy within conversations.

According to a report from "WABetaInfo", the feature is currently available to a limited number of users on the beta version for Android and iOS devices, with plans to roll it out to all users in the near future.

How does the new feature work?

The feature allows users to send messages that disappear after reading, so the text is automatically deleted as soon as the recipient leaves the chat screen or finishes reading the message, with no option to retrieve it again.

This option can be activated either within specific conversations or as a default setting for all new chats.

How it differs from the current disappearing messages feature

WhatsApp already has a self-destructing messages feature, but it relies on timers, allowing messages to be set to delete after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days.

However, the new feature is based on a completely different principle, as it is linked to the actual reading of the message rather than the passage of time, with options to delete the message after 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 12 hours from being read.

The company also noted that unread messages will be automatically deleted after a maximum of 24 hours in all cases.

A Broader Shift Towards Privacy

This step is part of a series of updates focusing on privacy, as the parent company Meta is working on developing a new set of features, including the "Incognito Chat" mode for conversations with artificial intelligence, along with improvements in multitasking and cloud backup encryption.

The new feature is expected to be gradually rolled out to "WhatsApp" users on Android and iOS systems over the coming weeks, provided it successfully passes the current testing phase.