WhatsApp recently released a feature called View Once on Android that can delete photos and videos automatically after being viewed by the recipient. Now that it is available on Android, WhatsApp will also present View Once on iOS.
The arrival of the View Once feature on iOS was discovered by the WABetaInfo page on WhatsApp beta for iOS version 2.21.140.9. This feature is not yet unlocked for all WhatsApp users on iOS and is limited to beta testers only.
Just like on Android, the View Once feature on iOS also allows users to send photos, videos and GIFs that can disappear immediately after being seen by the recipient. This feature is available for individual and group chats.
How to use it is also the same, first select the photo, video or GIF you want to send. In the Add a Caption column, you will see the number 1 icon in a circle.
Click the icon and WhatsApp will display a pop-up message saying the View Once feature has been activated. WhatsApp also warns users that the recipient of the message can still take screenshots of the photos or videos sent.
The sender of the message will also not receive a notification if the recipient takes a screenshot of the content sent. So WhatsApp users are advised to be careful when using this feature.
After the View Once feature is activated, send photos or videos as usual. As soon as the photo or video is sent, the content will immediately disappear from your cellphone and will disappear on the recipient’s cellphone once it has been opened, as quoted from WABetaInfo, Monday (12/7/2021).
If you see the message ‘Opened’ in the chat, it means the photo or video has been opened and disappeared. Users can see other details, such as who opened a photo or video in a group, via Message Info.
Currently the View Once feature on Android and iOS is only available for beta users. It’s not yet known when WhatsApp will roll out this feature widely, but Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has signaled that this feature will soon be available to all users.
