WhatsApp testing ‘disappearing’ messages in new update
Other messaging apps including Facebook Messenger offer self-destructing messages to protect privacy
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
WhatsApp is testing disappearing messages that will self-destruct after they are sent.
The feature is intended to preserve the privacy of conversations, by allowing messages to be sent but letting the record that remains of them to be purged.
When it is turned on, users will be able to set a time limit on the messages. That means they will send as normal, but then deleted, stopping people copying or screen grabbing them.
For now, the feature is available in the beta version of the app for Android. But features from that beta regularly move to the main version of the app.
It would bring WhatsApp in line with a number of other chat apps, including Gmail, Telegram as well as Facebook Messenger.
The feature currently works in a strange way, according to the website WABetaInfo, which first spotted the changes. It appears to still be in development, the site noted.
At the moment, messages can only be set to delete after five seconds or one hour. They can also only be used in group chats, and every message in those group chats will be deleted as part of the new feature.
It's not clear when the disappearing messages will come to all WhatsApp users. It is also possible that the company could opt to remove or fundamentally change the update.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments