We all know how Snapchat has helped fuel the trend toward ephemeral or self-disappearing messages. WhatsApp has now recognized this and introduced a service for sending disappearing photos and videos. So if you're wondering how to use them on WhatsApp, read on.
The feature is currently limited to a select few Android users included in WhatsApp's beta program. However, it gives us a good idea of how WhatsApp will approach sending disappearing media in the app.
WhatsApp calls it View Once, and as the name suggests, it allows the recipient to view the received media once, after which WhatsApp will destroy the media file from the chat. Here are the current requirements for using disappearing photos and videos on WhatsApp.
Download the compatible version of WhatsApp
As mentioned above, WhatsApp hasn't rolled out the View Once feature globally. If the latest version isn't available in your region, you can download the APK file from the source below and install it on your Android phone.
How to Send Disappearing Photos and Videos on WhatsApp
Once you install the relevant APK file on WhatsApp, the feature should launch in the app. Here's how to use it.
Step 1: Open the WhatsApp app on your Android phone.
Step 2: Open the conversation in which you want to send disappearing photos and videos.
Step 3: Tap the Attach icon in WhatsApp and select Gallery.
Step 4: Select the image you want to send.
Step 5: In the WhatsApp photo editing interface, you will notice a 1 written in a circle in the Add Caption menu.
Step 6: Tap on a small circle and the image is set to display once.
When you send the image, you and the recipient will not see any thumbnail in the chat.
Likewise, you can Select a video from the Gallery app. And set it as a one-time offer in WhatsApp.
The recipient will only see the image in the chat in media size. When the receiver clicks on it, it will
WhatsApp downloads the image and opens it.
There's no limit to how long you can keep the image open on WhatsApp. Once you tap the "Back" button,
The image will disappear from the chat, and you will only see the open status in the conversation.
The sender will also notice the corresponding open status in the chat.
Disappearing messages vs. viewing once
WhatsApp already has something called Messages disappearing In the app. So, how is one-time viewing different from disappearing messages in the app?
The real difference lies in the duration and overall implementation. With disappearing messages, the chat automatically deletes after seven days. Whether you view the messages or not, the chat disappears after a week.
With view once, media disappears only after it's viewed. Even if you open the photo for the first time six months later, it remains in the chat.
Another difference is the export option. With disappearing messages, the recipient can always export the chat at the end of the week to keep the data stored somewhere.
With View Once, you don't have the option to save the image to your gallery. You also can't forward the image to someone else.
Disappearing messages will delete the entire chat, including messages and media. One-time viewing is limited to sending photos and videos only. You should not share your password, OTP, or any other text such as a one-time view in WhatsApp.
What about security?
This is where apps like Snapchat and Signal Moving forward and making better strides in this field. Let's explain how. Using View Once, if the person receiving the disappearing message takes a screenshot of their phone or records the entire video using a screen recorder tool, the sender will not be notified.
This is a big limitation and something you should keep in mind before sharing sensitive media over WhatsApp.
How to view work once in WhatsApp groups
The View Once feature works as expected in WhatsApp groups as well. Simply enable the View Once toggle before sending any media in the group and you're safe.
Again, let us remind you that anyone in the group can take a screenshot or record the sent media using the screen recorder tool and share it.
In our experience, view once features are very useful in personal WhatsApp chat.
Send self-destructing media via WhatsApp
WhatsApp's one-time view is a step in the right direction. However, we feel the social media giant should include text messages as a one-time view in the final release. This could be useful when sharing passwords or other sensitive information via text. Also, the vulnerability could impact the feature's further adoption.
It will be interesting to see how WhatsApp improves the view once functionality in future updates.
