WhatsApp group chat participants will soon be able to enable and disable disappearing messages, a feature that was earlier restricted to group admins only. Group participants had no control over disappearing messages, but the feature was available on one-on-one chats.

WhatsApp is currently testing the feature for group members for the latest Android 2.21.8.7 version, but the company said that previous versions might also get the feature. Once a group participant enables the feature, the messages on that participant's phone will disappear within seven days.

By using the option "Edit Group Info" in WhatsApp, a user can enable or disable disappearing messages feature for everyone and/or group admins. If a group admin wants to prevent any member to enable or disable the "disappearing messages" feature, the person can set the 'Edit Group Info' to ‘Only group admins’.

Besides, WhatsApp is also testing the possibility where messages would be automatically deleted after 24 hours.

WhatsApp is testing the ability to set messages to disappear after 24 hours.

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 6, 2021WhatsApp first rolled out the "disappearing messages" feature last November. The company, however, warns users to share such messages with trusted contacts only as these can be accessed even after a week by using methods such as taking a screenshot or recording it. Further, if a disappearing message is forwarded to a person who has not enabled the feature, the message will not disappear.

One can turn on the feature by going to the concerned contact info, and then tapping on “disappearing messages” and select “On”.

In groups, the admin can open the WhatsApp group chat, tap on its name, followed by “disappearing messages”. On getting a prompt, tap to continue and select “On”.

If a user creates a backup, the disappearing message will be included in it.

WhatsApp is also testing a feature, ‘Chat History Migration’, where chats can be transferred from an Android device to iOS and vice versa. This could allow people to use WhatsApp on multiple devices with different operating systems at the same time.

The feature will even allow WhatsApp Web (including portal) to be used without an Internet connection, at first, according to WABetaInfo.