WhatsApp has released a new ‘View Once’ feature for iOS and Android which will allow users to share photos which will disappear after viewing once. The feature will roll out gradually during this week to all iOS, Android, and web versions of the app.
This feature was discovered byWABetaInfo and has a strong resemblance to media sharing on the Snapchat app. This is not the first time Facebook, the parent company of WhatsApp, has copied Snapchat’s features for its media platforms. Instagram Stories is a copy of Snapchat Stories which was later added to WhatsApp as well.
WhatsApp enables users to share bits of moments via temporary “View Once” photos and videos
As the messaging company explains that sending permanent pictures takes up alot of space and clutters the photos library. Therefore, ‘View Once’ will enable them to share media for express conversations like shopping for the right chair, sharing their meals, current location, and much more.
When the ‘View once’ setting will be enabled, the shared media will be marked with a new “one-time” icon and the sender will be notified with an “opened” label when the message has been viewed. To ensure privacy, the sent messages will be protected by end-to-end encryption. The recipients also have to option to report view once media
Although the company says the new feature gives users more privacy, it is not as safe. Users will not be notified if someone takes a screenshot, screen records, or captures a picture/video from another camera of the sent message. So, users should be cautious of who they share photos and videos with. Furthermore, the sent encrypted media may be stored on WhatsApp’s servers for a few weeks.
As per the feature’s support page, users should note the following:
- Media will not be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery.
- Once you send a view once photo or video, you won’t be able to view it again.
- You can’t forward, save, star, or share photos or videos that were sent or received with view once media enabled.
- You 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.
- You 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 back up. If the photo or video has already been opened, the media will not be included in the backup and can’t be restored.
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