After successfully launching the ‘View Once’ feature for photos and videos, WhatsApp plans to introduce the same for text messages. The view once text message feature will reportedly allow users to send messages that can be viewed once, with no access granted for later viewing. According to WABetaInfo, “WhatsApp is working on bringing the ability to send view once text messages to a future update!”
View Once Text Message Feature to Put WhatsApp in Competition with Snapchat
The View Once Feature originated from Snapchat, which Instagram later adopted for its stories and DMs. Previously, WhatsApp also released a similar feature for media files giving an example of how someone can send a photo of their Wi-fi login details, which can also be applied to disappearing text messages as well.
According to the screenshot shared by the publication, the view is a new special button placed next to the chat bar with a lock symbol, denoting view once messages. According to WABetaInfo, “The view once text will disappear from the conversation when the recipient opens it so it is not possible to read the view once text again. Note that, since this feature is under development, the layout of the view once text bubble and the send button may change before the release.”
How to Enable the View Once Feature for Photos and Videos?
To send view-once media:
- Open an individual or group chat
- Tap Attach, then tap: the camera to take a new photo or video with your camera – videos recorded using WhatsApp are limited to 16MB – or gallery to select an existing photo or video from your phone
- Tap the disappearing symbol and press send
Also read: WhatsApp’s New Feature Will Now Allow Users to Save Disappearing Messages
