The feature was already available in some form or other in competitor apps like Telegram and Signal.
In individual chats, either user could turn the disappearing messages feature on or off, while in group chats the privilege is extended only to the admins.Why did WhatsApp include the disappearing messages feature?According to WhatsApp, the feature will bring a new level of privacy to the popular messaging app.
In Whatsapp’s own words, “When conversations aren’t permanent, people can speak more freely and feel more comfortable being their authentic selves, whether that be their wacky side or being more honest about their feelings.
This is a huge step for WhatsApp as we introduce ephemerality to many people for the first time ever and help them experience a new level of privacy.”How to turn on disappearing messages in WhatsApp?One can take the following steps to enable or disable disappearing messages in WhatsApp.iPhone or Android individual chatOpen individual chatTap on the contact nameSelect the disappearing messages optionIf prompted, tap continueSelect on or off to enable or disable the disappearing messagesGroup chatOnly admins can enable or disable disappearing messages on a group chat.Open the group chatTap on the group nameSelect the disappearing messages optionIf prompted, tap continueSelect on or off to enable or disable the disappearing messagesWeb and desktopTo enable or disable disappearing messages on WhatsApp Web or Desktop appsOpen WhatsApp Web/AppOpen the individual or group chatTap on the contact or group name at the topSelect the disappearing messages optionIf prompted, tap continueSelect on or off to enable or disable the disappearing messagesHow is WhatsApp’s disappearing message feature different?The disappearing messages feature in WhatsApp is different from the one compared to other messaging apps.
WhatsApp has a fixed time limit of seven days.What should watch out for?There are some things that a user should keep in mind while using the disappearing app feature.Previews: In a case, the user hasn’t opened WhatsApp for seven days, the messages would still appear in the notifications preview panel.
Once the user opens WhatsApp, then the messages will disappear.Replies: If the user replies to a disappearing message, the initial message can appear in the chat even after seven days.Screenshots: Users can take screenshots of the chat and save them.Backups: If a user creates a backup before the message disappears, then despite the disappearing message will appear in the backup, it won’t appear in the chat once the backup is restored.What about photos and media?A common question that most users have is about the photos and videos –what will happen to the media files?
These days, almost no one (in the whole of the developed, as well as large portions of the developing world’s) can manage his/her daily connectivity needs without the medium of the Internet.
