WhatsApp has been teasing disappearing messages numerous times, and now it looks like the feature is finally coming. The company made the announcement in a blog post today, giving us details about the feature and how it would work on the app.
First and foremost, let’s address the most obvious question. According to WhatsApp, disappearing messages will have a time limit of 7 days, after which they will be destroyed from all chats.
Users will be able to select whether they want to turn this feature on or not, and can make different selections for different chats. This means that you can turn on disappearing messages for some chats, while keeping it off for others.
Moreover, any one person in the chat can choose to turn the setting on or off at anytime. For groups, the control will be given to the admin.
If you do not open a chat for more than 7 days, the chat will still be deleted. However, you will be able to check the message from the notification panel, even after the 7 days. Even more so, quoted messages (which appear when you reply to a particular message by swiping right), will still remain visible after 7 days. Messages forwarded to a normal chat from a disappearing chat will not vanish after 7 days.
Moreover, older messages that were sent before the feature rolls out will still be intact after the 7 day window.
WhatsApp has been adding various new features to provide the best messaging experience on the market, including dark mode and the ability to delete sent messages. Now, with this new feature, the platform is planning to further refine its platform, and attract more users.
