WhatsApp is going to let you send vanishing images

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Alex Ruhl)

The idea of messages that disappear after a short period is not exactly new – in fact, it's something that many chat and messaging apps have implemented over the last couple of years. Now it seems as though WhatsApp is going to introduce something of a twist on the theme.

Borrowing heavily from Instagram Direct, early signs of a self-destructing images feature have been spotted in the iOS and Android versions of the app.

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WhatsApp already includes a Disappearing Messages function, and future versions of the app are riffing on this idea. The next development in this area will see users being able to share self-destructing images within group chats and private conversations.

The feature was spotted by WABetaInfo, which shared the news on Twitter:

WhatsApp is working on self-destructing photos in a future update for iOS and Android.• Self-destructing photos cannot be exported from WhatsApp.• WhatsApp didn't implement a screenshot detection for self-destructing photos yet.Same concept from Instagram Direct. ⏱ pic.twitter.com/LLsezVL2HjMarch 3, 2021

Now you see it…

Images that are shared in this ware labelled with a warning that “This media will disappear, once you leave this chat.” As this is a feature that will be used to share sensitive images, WhatsApp will prevent recipients from exporting media marked for self-destruction. It’s not clear whether WhatsApp will implement a block on screengrabbing images before they vanish.

At the moment it is not even possible to try out self-destructing images in beta versions of WhatsApp, so it is pretty much impossible to say when the feature might make its way to the main build of the app.

Via XDA Developers

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Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

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