WhatsApp Is Testing a Smarter Way to Make Messages Disappear

WhatsApp is rolling out a new kind of disappearing message one that only starts a timer after the recipient actually reads it. The feature is now being tested on iOS, following Android beta trials last month.

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Image Credit: WABetaInfo

The privacy tools in WhatsApp have been developing rapidly lately. Already there are features of encryption and disappearing messages available on the app. But one new beta tool has introduced something unique about WhatsApp. While there used to be a timer that starts the moment a message is sent, now it triggers when it is opened by the recipient.

This has been noted by WABetaInfo from the WhatsApp beta version 26.19.10.72 of iOS. However, this feature was already seen before on Android beta version some months back. With both apps having the feature, its release seems imminent.

How the feature works

The new option lives inside WhatsApp's settings under Default message timer. There is now an "After reading" choice alongside the existing timed options.

Upon opening of the message by the recipient, the timer automatically initiates. On expiry of the countdown, the message is removed from both sides - your end and their end.

Also coming is another safeguard. The message will be automatically destroyed after 24 hours when the recipient does not access the chat at all. It means there is no message that is never opened and left indefinitely.

Why the timing system is smarter than it sounds

Here is a concrete example of how the timing works in practice.

The timing works independently on each device. That is the key insight. Sender and recipient are not locked to the same window. Each person's clock starts at the moment that is most relevant to them.

When would you actually use this?

This functionality addresses a real problem. Regular timed messages will disappear according to when they were sent meaning they might even disappear before anyone sees them. That can be really frustrating when dealing with something that is urgent or time-sensitive.

Triggered disappearing messages seem to make more sense for information intended to exist only while it was useful, like:

It is a small upgrade on the surface. But it closes a practical gap that has made disappearing messages less reliable for sensitive information.

How WhatsApp compares to rivals

WhatsApp is not first to this idea. Several competing apps have offered versions of read-based disappearing messages for years.

WhatsApp has been expanding its privacy toolkit steadily. View Once media, end-to-end encrypted backups, and now read-triggered message timers all point in the same direction. The platform is clearly trying to close the gap with more privacy-forward competitors.

What this feature does not do

It should be clarified at the very outset regarding its limitations. Disappearance messages lower the level of permanency of conversations but they do not guarantee security of information after reading.

There will always remain a possibility for the recipient to take a screenshot, to record his or her screen activity, or to take a photo with any other camera.

For now, the feature is available only to a few beta testers on iOS. Testing on the Android platform started last month. Whenever WhatsApp releases a feature on both operating systems in beta form, it’s an indication that there’s a stable version under development – but WhatsApp hasn’t set an official date yet.

Features tested in beta stage don’t always go live soon after. However, the process described above is good news for WhatsApp users. The vast majority of features get released to everybody at the end.

Once it rolls out publicly, the setting will be available under Settings → Privacy → Default message timer → After reading on both iOS and Android.