Send Disappearing Images on WhatsApp. Here's How

WhatsApp has been "the" social messaging app for a very long time, and even after the controversial privacy terms, users still choose to stick to it. Over the years, the developers have made sure to add new features to the app. The app that started off as a simple messaging app is now moving towards becoming a social media platform at a very high pace. The announcement and imposing of privacy policy might sound like a roadblock but that is not stopping the user base from growing every minute.

Sharing images and media is something WhatsApp brought with it, but multiple other apps and platforms have improvised on this idea. However, WhatsApp is not very far behind in the race of launching new features. The latest edition is "disappearing images" or the "view once" option while sending photos and videos.

What is the "View Once" Feature?

As the name suggests, the "view once" feature allows users to send images and videos which disappear after the receiver opens them. This means that once seen, the images can not be seen again and would not show up in the photo gallery of the phone. Adding to that, these images or videos can not be saved, shared or even starred by the receiver. Once seen, WhatsApp can not show it again. This works as an additional layer of privacy for the users who contemplate sending personal images and media to one another. You will be able to see if the receiver has opened it or not.

Things You Need to Know About the Feature

The feature might look promising and familiar because apps like Snapchat and Instagram already have this feature. However, there is one major difference between these apps and WhatsApp's "View Once" feature. The sender will not be notified if the receiver takes a screenshot of the media. The screen can also be recorded to store the media without the sender knowing it. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram notify the sender about a screenshot being taken, WhatsApp is not doing that as of now.

Secondly, if the media is not opened for 14 days after being received, it will get deleted automatically. If opened, these images or media files won't be included while backing up the data. However, if you backup your data before opening these media files, it will show once the data is restored. Another thing to take note of is that the company says “Encrypted media may be stored for a few weeks on WhatsApp’s servers after you’ve sent it.”

How to Send "View Once" Images on WhatsApp?

There are a few simple steps that you need to follow in order to do this. Make sure that your WhatsApp is updated to the latest version and then follow the steps.

1. Open a chatbox where you want to send the image
2. Click on the camera icon and select an image from your phone's gallery
3. You will see a timer icon on the right side, press and now the image can only be seen once.

Make sure you are sending the images and media to trusted people because the possibility of it being stored is still very high. Features like these keep the user-base hooked and make it even more difficult to opt for an alternative. Tell us what you think about this new feature.