Disappearing WhatsApp messages will soon be subject to a long time limit, undermining the purpose of this privacy-focused feature. According to a WhatsApp survey by WABetaInfo, the messaging app is testing a new 90-day message disappearance option.
The new 90 day limit was discovered in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android, the version number is 2.21.9.6. Turning it on will make the message disappear after just three months. It is more or less as if the message is archived for automatic deletion after three months.
WhatsApp said in April that it was testing a 24-hour option for its disappearing messages, which as we speak, is still not available on the app. As it stands, WhatsApp only allows disappearing messages to end after 7 days.
Extending the WhatsApp plan by 90 days instead of further shortening the time limit for messages to disappear seems like a move in the wrong direction. In particular, this is because the company first touted this feature as “making conversations lighter and more private”.
WhatsApp’s original goal was to provide users with “a sense of security that conversations aren’t permanent.” Since there is a 90-day limit, users will not only be able to hold conversations, but will soon be able to forget them as well.
However, at least the service provides a “view once” option for photos and videos. Although, even this is not completely foolproof, as it will not prevent the recipient from taking screenshots or saving the media elsewhere, just like a disappearing message.
WhatsApp had, earlier this August, expanded its disappearing messages option by rolling out ‘View once’ support for photos and videos shared on its platform.
As with disappearing messages, View Once can cause messages to disappear from chats as soon as the recipient sees them. This means that photos or videos sent with the view option enabled can only be viewed once. It works similarly to the Vanish Mode on Instagram.
If you don’t open the media file within 14 days after viewing it, it will automatically disappear from the chat and cannot be forwarded, saved, starred, or shared. But yes, users can take screenshots.
