We first wrote about WhatsApp’s self-destructing messages back in October last year. The feature cycle for WhatsApp is already painfully slow and I’m sure working from home only compounded that.
Anyway, the destructing messages are closer to launching. The feature is available in WhatsApp’s latest beta but hasn’t been enabled yet, meaning users can’t use it just yet. We do know a bit more than we did before though.
Disappearing messages
Generally, the feature works as follows, you can send a timed message that will disappear from the chat on two conditions: i) The recipient has seen it or ii) the message has an expiry timer and it has passed the set time.
There’s one worrying thing. According to WA Betainfo, who leaked info about the feature, there’s nothing preventing recipients from taking screenshots of whatever self-destructing media they get.
Since the feature is in development one would hope this changes before it starts rolling out publicly. If recipients can take screenshots it kind of defeats the purpose of self-destructing messages.
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