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WhatsApp Unveils View Once Photos and Videos that Vanishes from Chat
4 Aug, 2021 / 10:58 AM / Reeny Joseph

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WhatsApp unveiled View Once photos and videos, which vanish from a chat after they've been opened and the new feature gives more privacy to the users. When sending a photo or video, you can make it view once by tapping the “1” button to the left of the send button. After the recipient opens it, it’ll be deleted. The recipient will be able to see that it’s a disappearing photo, so it’s still the type of thing you’d only want to use for people you trust to not take a screenshot.

In June, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the feature would be coming, though details about when it would release were scarce. According to WaBetaInfo, the feature has been in beta for about a month.

Like personal messages, View Once media is protected by end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp says. Photos and videos sent using this feature will have a "one-time" icon to signify they'll disappear. Media won't be saved to the recipient's photos or gallery, and users won't be able to forward, save, star or share images or videos sent or received using View Once. 

Encrypted media could be stored on WhatsApp's servers a few weeks after it's been sent, the company notes. And if a recipient reports View Once media, it'll be given to the company. 

You'll be able to see if recipients opened photos or videos only if their read receipts are on. If media isn't opened within 14 days, it'll expire. Users sending a View Once photo or video will need to select the View Once option each time they do so. 

Though this feature could provide a greater sense of privacy for more-sensitive content, WhatsApp notes you should send View Once photos or videos only to people you trust, since it's possible for someone to take a screenshot or to screen record content.