WhatsApp rolls out disappearing images feature for Android beta users

• WhatsApp enables beta testers with ‘View Once’ feature
• Media will disappear after the recipient closes it
• The sender will be notified once the recipient opens the media
  

WhatsApp, the instant messaging platform owned by Facebook, has rolled out the disappearing media feature called ‘View Once’ on its Beta version for Android. This feature enables users to send photos and videos that the recipient can view only once. The feature has been adopted from Snapchat and it is available on Facebook’s Instagram platform as well.

According to a report in WABetaInfo, this feature is compatible for users with WhatsApp beta for Android 2.21.14.3. Android users using this version and who have not received the feature may get it in a future update.

Using ‘View Once’ mode

After the ‘View Once’ feature is enabled you will see a clock-like icon next to the ‘Add a caption…’ bar in the preview after selecting an image or video from your gallery. Once you select this mode and send the media, the recipient can view it only once. The sender will receive a notification when the media is opened and it will disappear once it is closed.

The screenshots in the report by WABetaInfo showcases that once the recipient opens the media, they will see this message - ‘This photo is set to view once. For more privacy, this photo will disappear after you close it’.

As per the report, the users who have disabled read receipts will not be able to see the status of the media they share, while the recipients can see the status of any images they share. There is a possibility of taking a screenshot when the image is opened without the sender being notified as the feature does not come with screenshot detection.

The ‘View Once’ feature will also work in groups and the sender can find out who has opened the media by checking the Message Info. Even blocked contacts in groups can view the media sent using this feature.

Recipients, who do not have the feature enabled, can also receive ‘View Once’ images, videos or GIFs and it will disappear after they close it. You can only send ‘View Once’ media once you receive the feature.

The feature is only available for Android beta testers and it will be activated for iOS beta testers at a later date.

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