A new WhatsApp feature is here, using which you can send disappearing photos and videos on WhatsApp directly. In this article, we will find out how to send disappearing photos and videos on WhatsApp directly, but before that let’s have a quick intro to the feature
Late last year, WhatsApp introduced ‘Disappearing Messages‘ that allows its users to send a message that’ll disappear after 7 days. Now following the same, WhatsApp has been testing a new privacy feature called ‘View Once.’ This feature will let you send media files, i.e., Photos and Videos, that can only be viewed once. Any photo or video you’ll send with WhatsApp View Once the feature is enabled will get deleted as soon as the receiver views it.
This ‘View Once‘ feature is currently available on the Android app’s beta version (v2.21.14.3). The good thing is, that anyone using the said WhatsApp beta on their Android device can send such messages. And the recipient will get to view the media only once as intended. Also, this feature will work across WhatsApp in both private and group chats.
How to Send Disappearing Photos and Videos on Whatsapp?
Before seeing how to send a disappearing photo using WhatsApp View Once features, let us see if you have that feature available on your WhatsApp app.
If you see a ‘1’ icon right next to the send button when you share a media with your WhatsApp contact, that means you already have the View Once feature inside WhatsApp. Otherwise, either install the WhatsApp beta or wait until this feature is out to the public.
Now let us begin with how View Once feature works and how you can send a View Once image on WhatsApp.
- First of all, open a chat on WhatsApp. You can send a ‘View Once’ message to both private and group chats.
- Inside the chat, tap on the paper clip or the camera icon to send/record a photo/video that you want to share.
- Once you have selected/recorded the photo/video, tap on the ‘1’ button on the right of the ‘Add a caption…’ field.
- A message will pop up saying. ‘This photo is set to view once,’ and the ‘1’ button will turn into green color.
- Now you are ready to send your media as View once. Just click on the ‘Send Button,’ and you are done.
How to open a view once message on WhatsApp?
Opening View Once message on WhatsApp is simple. You will get the regular notification that someone has sent a View Once media with you. The message inside the chat will show the file type and its size without any preview. You’ll need to download it and then tap on the message again to view its content.
And the photo/video you received as View Once will disappear after you close it. However, you can keep viewing it as long as you don’t close it, or better, take a screenshot and save it locally.
Flaws of Whatsapp View Once
That’s where we start looking at its flaws. In its current state, View Once features merely check off the privacy part. It is there for the namesake. Like you can view the ‘View Once’ media as long as you don’t close it. And it won’t even alert the sender if you screen captures the message and save it locally.
While it is too early to judge a beta feature since WhatsApp has a lot to do before they ship this feature on the Stable build of their app, I hope we get to choose how long a person can view the media before it disappears and will alert the sender if someone tries to screen capture it. The way it works is when you send a snap on Snapchat.
Disappearing Messages vs Whatsapp View Once
You may be wondering if WhatsApp has a feature that allows you to send disappearing messages. It does. What distinguishes the new View Once functionality from vanishing messages? This is what we’ll look at in this section.
The duration is the main distinction between disappearing messages and View Once. While texts received through WhatsApp’s disappearing messages mode will be deleted after seven days, images and videos labeled as View Once will be deleted once the recipient accesses the media file. The new feature also differs from the disappearing messages in terms of its coverage.
View Once is limited to photographs and videos, while Disappearing messages affect all text and media items in the conversation.
Final Words: Whatsapp View Once, Disappearing Messages on Steroids.
So this is how you can use the View once feature to send photos or videos that can only be viewed once. I hope WhatsApp will polish this feature fixing all its flaws before shipping it to a stable channel.
Are you excited about all the new features that WhatsApp has been shipping lately? What’s your favorite WhatsApp feature so far? Do let us know in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I am not using the beta version of WhatsApp. Can I still receive the View once photo or video?
Surprisingly, you can still receive the View once media from your WhatsApp contact, even if you are not on WhatsApp beta. However, to send one, you’ll have to install the beta version of WhatsApp on your Android device.
How to install WhatsApp beta to use View Once feature?
WhatsApp is no longer accepting new users for their beta program, which means you can’t officially sign up to get beta updates of their app.
Since on Android, you can sideload APKs; you can install the latest WhatsApp beta from APK Mirror and use its View once feature to send disappearing photos. Don’t forget to back up your WhatsApp data before signing in to the beta App. (Download WhatsApp Beta v2.21.14.3 from here)
Can I send View once photos on WhatsApp on Apple iOS?
No, you can’t use the View once feature on iOS. Currently, this feature is in beta, and available only to WhatsApp beta users on Android.