The Facebook-owned social messaging platform, WhatsApp is gradually rolling out a new feature called ‘View Once’, which automatically deletes photo and video messages from chats after they have been seen by the recipient. This is a new feature the platform is adding to its privacy features.
When sending a photo or video while in chat, the sender can make the photo or video viewed once by tapping the “1” in the caption text field next to the send button. After the recipient opens/views it, it’ll be automatically deleted and the message will be shown as “opened.”
However, in a FAQ article, Whatsapp does note that the recipient can still take a screenshot or record their screen while opening a “view once” photo or video. The sender won’t be notified if the recipient takes a screenshot or screen recording. The company also points out that “view once” photos or videos that are reported will be provided to WhatsApp.
Notably, the view once is optional, meaning you must select view once media each time you want to send a view once photo or video. The media can’t be forwarded, saved, stared, archived, or shared. And unlike regular photo or video messages, the “view once” photos or videos won’t be saved to the recipient’s photos or gallery.
The sent view once photo or video if not opened within 14 days of it being sent, the media will expire from the chat.