WhatsApp has been testing several new features to its iOS app of late. It appears that one of the features that it may soon start offering will give users more control over photos and videos. According to reports, the instant messaging app is testing Snapchat-like disappearing photos and videos feature to iOS and Android Beta. The feature has been named ‘View Once’. The feature was reportedly released for iOS users recently. This is happening a month after the same was released for Android users – in late June. As the name of the feature suggests, the photos and videos sent by users will disappear from WhatsApp chat history once the person receiving the message views it. The feature is very similar to what social media platforms Instagram and Facebook Messenger offers. But people sending photos or videos on Instagram can let recipients view them once more before it disappears. And, of course, it is well known that all these features are inspired by the disappearing media network of Snapchat.
It has also been reported that the app will not stop others from taking screenshots of messages received by them. If the sender selects the option of ‘View Once’ while sending the content, those photos and videos will disappear in the recipient’s as well as the sender’s chat. If senders want to see whether the photos and videos sent by them have been viewed, they can check it by watching out for an ‘opened message.’ The option has always been there for group chats for Android users. “In order to provide better privacy options, photos and videos sent by you will automatically disappear from the chat once the recipient views it. But one must remember that recipient can always take screenshots,” the message that talked about the feature in the messaging app reads. There are also reports that claim that WhatsApp will not inform users if recipients of their message took screenshots of the disappearing content sent by them. This is because the app feels that there is no foolproof way of stopping recipients from taking screenshots of messages they have received. The feature was confirmed by WhatsApp chief executive officer Will Cathcart and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in June. So there is no doubt that all users will have access to this feature very soon.
Zuckerberg also talked about a ‘disappearing mode’ that would let all your messages in all chats disappear. He said that this feature would make the WhatsApp experience ‘ephemeral.’ But there would be both advantages and disadvantages of the feature. While it would give users a sense of security as no one would be able to read their private messages, the feature would also create problems for those who very often refer back to WhatsApp messages to find out important information. There are some other important features on which WhatsApp is reportedly working on. One of them allows users to make calls and send messages using WhatsApp Web without connecting it to a phone. There are also reports that WhatsApp may support multi-device in the near future. A functional version of this feature is expected to be rolled out for the Beta version soon. Apart from this, WhatsApp is also working on adding an option that will let users choose the quality of video while sending it. The video quality feature is still being developed. Once rolled out, the feature is touted to be one of the most useful features for users. The other feature that is expected to be rolled out soon is the new redesigned in-app notification. This will allow WhatsApp users to see more information in the notification banner.
Carolyn is a technology graduate and loves to write about anything related to technology as well as writes in others sectors. Carolyn is a professional writer with over 7 years of experience. Initially starting off as a programmer, Carolyn decided to combine her knowledge about technology and writing and that’s how she joined Reporter Expert.