WhatsApp rolls out 'Disappearing messages' feature

As reported, earlier in the week, WhatsApp finally announced the arrival of the 'Disappearing message' feature to the messenger app.

"We’re introducing ‘Disappearing Messages’ on WhatsApp. 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," the company said.

With the new update, WhatsApp users can enable/disable 'Disappearing Messages' on one-on-one and group chat sessions. But, in the latter's case, only the admin will have control.

Once the receiver receives the message and views it, the message will automatically get deleted after seven. However, if the user replies to a disappearing message, the quoted text will remain in the chat even after seven days.

It is the same for multimedia content such as a photograph or a video. They will vanish from the chat session only after seven days. There is one short-coming in this feature, the media can get saved on the phone if auto-download is on the receiver's phone. For that, the company recommends users to turn off the auto-download on WhatsApp Settings > Data and Storage Usage.

The Disappearing messages feature is being rolled out with an update and since is being staged in phones, most people are expected to get it by the end of November. Users can manually check for the update by going to Google Play (on Android phones) or Apple App Store ( on iPhones) >> type WhatsApp Messenger >> Update.

Many users on social media platforms have expressed reservations on seven days time limit. Many feel one week is too long time and doesn't serve the purpose of sharing any sensitive information or personal photographs, which needs to get deleted in a few minutes.

For instance, on Snapchat, messages can be set to delete after 24 hours by changing the erase rules in Chat Settings.

But, WhatsApp has mentioned the fact that it is just the start, and based on users' feedback, it is likely to offer a shorter time-limit for the messenger to automatically delete the message after a few hours or minutes.

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