View Once messages will disappear once you listen to them
Disappearing photos and video can always be screenshotted; disappearing audio messages, not so much.
Meta-owned WhatsApp introduced what it callsView Once photos and videos in 2021, making it possible to share these types of media without worrying about them sticking around forever.
Now, the company is applying the same tech to voice messages, which will also disappear once they’ve been listened to.
Meta shares examples of reading a credit card number to a friend or planning a surprise via voice message, where you won’t have to worry about the recipient forgetting to delete it.
Just like with View Once photos and videos, the voice messages you create as View Once messages will show up with the WhatsApp “one-time” icon and will only play once.
WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, too, and View Once messages (and photos and videos) are all encrypted this way to keep them private, even from WhatsApp itself.
While photos and videos can be screenshotted, audio messages are not, perhaps making this an even better way to send your sensitive info.
The company plans to roll out the new feature “globally over the coming days,” so stay tuned.
You’ll, of course, want tokeep your app updated to the latest version, whether on iOS or Android.
