WhatsApp introduces 'Disappearing Messages' feature: Here is how it works

Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp on Thursday introduced ‘Disappearing Messages' feature, which will roll out to users this month through an update. The feature will be available as an option for both individual and group chats. It allows the user to send a self-disappearing message, which gets deleted after seven days. WhatsApp’s Disappearing Messages feature will be available for Android, iOS, and KaiOS devices. It will also be available for WhatsApp Web and Desktop clients.

WhatsApp’s Disappearing Messages feature: How it works

WhatsApp will soon let users send message that self-disappear after seven days. Once enabled from settings, the new messages sent in the individual or group chat will disappear automatically. Important to note, the Disappearing Messages setting will not affect messages sent previously or received in the chat. In an individual chat, either user can turn disappearing messages on or off. In a group chat, however, only group admins will have the rights to turn disappearing messages on or off.

According to WhatsApp, if a user does not open WhatsApp in the seven day period, the message will disappear. However, the preview of the message might still be displayed in notifications until WhatsApp is opened. Here are some other scenarios listed by WhatsApp with regard to ‘Disappearing Messages’ feature:

• When you reply to a message, the initial message is quoted. If you reply to a disappearing message, the quoted text might remain in the chat after seven days

• If a disappearing message is forwarded to a chat with disappearing messages off, the message will not disappear in the forwarded chat

If a user creates a backup before a message disappears, the disappearing message will be included in the backup. Disappearing messages will be deleted when a user restores from a backup.

By default, media you receive in WhatsApp will be automatically downloaded to your photos. If disappearing messages are turned on, media sent in the chat will disappear, but will be saved on the phone if auto-download is on. You can turn auto-download off in WhatsApp’s Data and Storage Usage setting.