WhatsApp launches ‘View Once’ feature for users: Here’s how to use it

The Facebook-owned messaging app has come up with a “View Once” feature that will allow users to send photos and videos which after viewing will automatically disappear. It will be gone forever and therefore, it cannot be saved, forwarded, starred or shared, the company said. If a user sends any kind of media with the help of this feature, he/she will not be able to save it in their smartphone as it is not possible.

Notably, if a media is sent by a user via the ‘View Once’ feature and it is not opened for a period of 14 days, it will automatically be deleted. WhatsApp has further asked users to only send this type of media to trusted contacts which are similar to Snapchat or Instagram where the recipient will be able to take a screenshot of the media.

In order to use this feature, a user needs to update his/her WhatsApp to the latest version and then send a picture to other users. For that to happen, it is important to open a chat, individual or group, and add a photo or video – either through the camera icon or the paperclip symbol on iOS and Android respectively. 

Before clicking on the Send button, tap on the View Once icon located to the right of the text bar. The number one symbol comes with a circle along with the signature green colour which is related to WhatsApp and half the circle is made up of dots.

Users can also send the View Once media on the WhatsApp Web app, the Desktop App and on KaiOS.

"While taking photos or videos on our phones has become such a big part of our lives, not everything we share needs to become a permanent digital record. On many phones, simply taking a photo means it will take up space in your camera roll forever. That’s why today we’re rolling out new View Once photos and videos that disappear from the chat after they’ve been opened, giving users, even more, control over their privacy,” Facebook said.

"For example, you might send a View Once photo of some new clothes you’re trying on at a store, a quick reaction to a moment in time, or something sensitive like a Wi-Fi password. "

WhatsApp further revealed that this View Once feature will be protected by end-to-end encryption so that only the sender and the recipient can view it.