Technology
WhatsApp is about to launch self-destructing photos and videos feature – just like Snapchat
WHATSAPP is about to test a self-destructing photos and videos feature, similar to its rival Snapchat.
The feature was spotted in the new beta version ofWhatsApp for Android.
WhatsApp beta for Android 2.21.9.3: what’s new? • WhatsApp is working to introduce self-destructing media with an official description, available in a future update!
• WhatsApp won’t introduce a screenshot detection feature.https://t.co/ugvkiqWgz8— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) April 21, 2021
WhatsApp experts WABetaInfo tweeted: “WhatsApp is working to introduce self-destructing media with an official description, available in a future update!”
The feature will please WhatsApp users who want even more privacy but its not thought WhatsApp will be introducing a screenshot detection feature.
If someone screenshots one of your self-destructing photos or videos on Snapchat then you’ll get a notification about it.
This is a reassuring feature as it lets you know who is saving your private content.
The WhatsApp feature will make photo and video sending even more private[/caption]
WABetaInfo also said: “WhatsApp is working on an alert to introduce the feature, when it will be enabled.”
It’s thought recipients of the self-destructing photos and videos will only be able to open them once.
WABetaInfo claims WhatsApp will be warning users there will be no screenshot detection feature.
It’s not clear when or if the feature will be officially rolling out to all users.
If you want to try it soon you’ll be better off downloading version 2.21.9.3 of WhatsApp beta.
How to get WhatsApp beta
To download WhatsApp beta for your smartphone you need to go to Google Play on your Android and search for WhatsApp.
Scroll down the page until you see “Become a Beta Tester”.
Tap the “I’m In” button and then click “Join” to confirm.
Now all you have to do is wait for the update to the beta version of the app.
Downloading WhatsApp beta on iOS is a much trickier and riskier process so this is not recommended.
However, WhatsApp beta can be downloaded on a computer via the Google Play site.
WhatsApp – a quick history
Here’s what you need to know…
- WhatsApp was created in 2009 by computer programmers Brian Acton and Jan Koum – former employees of Yahoo
- It’s one of the most popular messaging services in the world
- Koum came up with the name WhatsApp because it sounded like “what’s up”
- After a number of tweaks the app was released with a messaging component in June 2009, with 250,000 active users
- It was originally free but switched to a paid service to avoid growing too fast. Then in 2016, it became free again for all users
- Facebook bought WhatsApp Inc in February 2014 for $19.3billion (£14.64bn)
- The app is particularly popular because all messages are encrypted during transit, shutting out snoopers
- As of 2020, WhatsApp has over 2billion users globally
Most read in Phones & Gadgets
In other news, Instagram is bringing out a new tool that will filter out abusive messages on the platform.
Your Facebook News Feed will soon feature podcasts and audio clips.
And, Google is bringing out a feature to help Android users avoid collisions when texting and walking.
Do you prefer WhatsApp or Snapchat? Let us know in the comments…
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