WhatsApp has introduced the ‘disappearing messages’ feature for Android, iOS, and KaiOS devices from today, i.e. November 5. The feature will let the users delete the messages forever after seven days. In personal chats, users can toggle the feature as per their convenience, but admins will retain the control in group chats.

The feature would be made available on WhatsApp web and other desktop platforms sometime in November.

This feature, however, would not affect the previously sent and received messages.

Key things to know

In its blog, WhatsApp said, “If a user doesn’t open WhatsApp in the seven days, the message will disappear. However, the preview of the message might still be displayed in notifications until WhatsApp is opened.”

In case a user replies to a disappearing message, the quoted text “might remain in the chat after seven days,” WhatsApp added. However, if a disappearing message is forwarded to a chat with disappearing messages off, the message won’t disappear in the forwarded chat, said WhatsApp.

While a backup would back up the disappearing message, restoring would delete it.

In the case of media, if the auto-download and disappearing messages both are on, then while the photo would disappear from the chat, it will still be saved on the phone. Users can turn off the auto-download from Settings > Data and Storage Usage.

WhatsApp has warned the users to use disappearing messages only with trusted individuals highlighting that receivers can take screenshots, copy the content, or take a picture of the disappearing messages before they disappear.

(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)