WhatsApp 'View Once' Text Messages Feature Spotted on Latest Android Beta

WhatsApp is working on a new feature known as 'view once', this lets sent messages to disappear after a contact or non-contact has read/seen the message. This is quite similar to the media view once feature already available on the app.

The feature is still in the Google Play Beta Program stages as confirmed by WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo - WhatsApp for Android v2.22.25.20. So regular app users for Android cannot get this for now even if they are on the latest version of WhatsApp from the Google Play Store.

Read Also: WhatsApp Rolling Out 'Add Caption' for Forwarded Media on iOS

The feature can be located on a button next to the chat bar where users type their messages before sending them. It was observed that the button used to send messages displays a lock icon, indicating that the appearance of the feature might change over time i.e before the full release on Playstore.

What security measures has WhatsApp implemented so this feature is not bypassed? The "View Once" feature does not support screenshots, so the app will prevent it from saying 'can't take screenshots due to security policy. Additionally, it may not be possible to forward, share or copy the text to the clipboard. However, this may be bypassable with an external screen recording app.

Hope you are aware that the message Yourself feature has already begun rolling out on Android, while Windows PC is currently in beta stages. Update your app to the latest version, and you will see a new contact at the top of your contact lists that makes it easier for you to save messages, and forward media and documents for future purposes.