Technology
WhatsApp ‘View Once’ feature INSTANTLY deletes photos after opening – how to use it
WHATSAPP is making it safer for users to send racy snaps to one another.
The company has begun rolling out the ability to share self-destructing photos and videos through its app that vanish after they’re viewed.
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WABetaInfoA screen grab of the ‘view once’ feature being tested by WhatsApp[/caption]
WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages last year that go up in a puff of smoke after a short period of time set by the sender.
The Facebook-owned app, which boasts 2.5billion users worldwide, is now expanding and improving that capability for media files.
The feature, which is still in the early stages of development, was unearthed by WABetaInfo on Wednesday.
The tech guru regularly discloses WhatsApp features before they’re released by trawling through the code of early “beta” versions of the app.
WABetaInfoPhotos and videos sent using the feature can only be viewed once, and you’ll be notified when the recipient has seen them[/caption]
According to WABetaInfo, the new feature can be toggled on or off in settings and is called “view once”.
“Photos and videos sent using this mode can only be viewed once,” they wrote.
“They disappear from the chat after you dismiss the photo or the video.”
When sharing media, you can set a photo or video to View Once by tapping the new button that appears next to the text box.
Getty – ContributorWhatsApp already has disappearing messages that self-destruct after a set period[/caption]
The button is a “1” surrounded by a ring.
Photos and videos sent using the feature can only be viewed once, and you’ll be notified when the recipient has seen them.
The media will disappear after it’s been opened.
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg confirmed last month that the feature was coming to WhatsApp in the near future.
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It’s finally arriving on Android, with a roll out to users on the Android beta programme beginning on Wednesday.
The feature will be released to Android users worldwide in a future update. It’s also planned for release on the iOS version of the app.
To use View Once, you’ll need to be a member of WhatsApp’s beta programme.
Members of the programme test out WhatsApp updates before they’re released to the wider public to look for bugs.
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In other news, WhatsApp is said to be working on a redesign of its voice message feature for iPhone and Android users.
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