WhatsApp launches ‘View Once’ disappearing photos and videos.
WhatsApp is set to roll out its “View Once” feature today, which deletes photos or videos from your chat after the recipient has opened them.
When sending a photo or video, you can make it view once by tapping the “1” button to the left of the send button.
After the recipient opens it, that’ll delete it. But, of course, the recipient will be able to see that it’s a disappearing photo, so it’s still the type of thing you’d only want to use for people you trust not to take a screenshot.
WhatsApp launches View Once only.
Messaging app WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature called ‘View Once’ this week. A photo or a video immediately will be deleted from the chat once opened by the recipient through WhatsApp’s ‘View once’ feature.
It will show the message as “opened” once the media content has been viewed.
WhatsApp new feature: One cannot forward, save, star, or share photos or videos sent or received with the view once media is enabled. View once you can restore media from backup if the message is unopened at the time of backup.
The recipient will also see that it is a ‘view ones’ photo/video, so one would want to use this new feature for people you trust not to take a screenshot.
“Only send photos or videos with the view once media enabled to trusted individuals. For example, it’s possible for someone to: Take a screenshot or screen recording of the media before it disappears. It won’t notify you if someone takes a screenshot or screen recording,” WhatsApp said in a blog post on Wednesday.
In June, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the feature would be coming, though details about when it would release were scarce. According to WaBetaInfo, the feature has been in beta for about a month.
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As an example of how you could use the feature, WhatsApp uses the example of sending a photo of sensitive information, like a Wi-Fi password. Of course, there are perhaps other less wholesome uses for this kind of feature. But either way, it’s useful to have an option between the app’s disappearing messages, which currently only go away after a week, and your chat’s permanent record.
WhatsApp’s ‘View Once’ key features:
- Media will not be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery.
- Once you send a view once a photo or video, you won’t be able to view it again.
- One cannot forward, save, star, or share photos or videos that were sent or received with the view once media is enabled.
- One can only see if a recipient has opened a view once photo or video if they have read receipts turned on.
- If you don’t open the photo or video within 14 days of it being sent, the media will expire from the chat.
- An individual must select view once media each time you want to send a view once photo or video.
- View once media can be restored from backup if the message is unopened at the time of backup. If the photo or video has already been opened, the media will not be included in the backup and can’t be restored.
How to send ‘View once’ photos/videos on WhatsApp?
When sending a photo or video, you can make it ‘view once’ by tapping the “1″ button to the left of the send button. After the recipient opens it, that’ll delete it.
In a blog post, WhatsApp said it could use this ‘View ones’ media feature for sharing pictures like trying new clothes at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time, or something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password.
The Bottom Line
Facebook is billing the feature as one for “private moments” or sending potentially sensitive information like Wi-Fi passwords. But, as always, people should be wary of just how “private” these kinds of messages really are.
In a help article, the company notes that the recipient can still take a screenshot or record their screen while opening a “view once” photo and, unlike Snapchat, WhatsApp won’t let the sender know when a screenshot has been taken. The company also points out that “view once” photos reported will be made visible to WhatsApp.
Though this feature could provide a greater sense of privacy for more sensitive content, WhatsApp notes you should send View Once photos or videos only to people you trust since someone can take a screenshot or screen record content. (You won’t get a notification if they do.) It’s also possible for them to take a photo or video of media with another device.
