WhatsApp has unveiled the latest addition to its View Once feature – View Once voice messages, in a bid to bolster privacy features on its platform.
Following the successful launch of View Once for photos and videos in 2021, the new feature allows users to send voice messages that disappear after a single listen.
This development comes as a welcome move for users who prefer to share sensitive information verbally, such as reading out credit card details to a friend or planning surprise events.
Similar to View Once photos and videos, the voice messages are adorned with a distinctive “one-time” icon, denoting their ephemeral nature. Furthermore, these messages can only be played once, adding an extra layer of security and privacy.
“WhatsApp continues to prioritize user privacy by defaulting to end-to-end encryption for all personal messages, including View Once voice messages. This reaffirms the company’s commitment to innovative privacy solutions, building on the success of previous features,” the social media giant noted.
The global rollout of View Once voice messages is set to take place over the coming days, and WhatsApp eagerly anticipates user feedback.
The firm added that this latest addition to the View Once suite aligns with the platform’s dedication to providing users with greater control over their content and messages.
How View Once Works:
- Sending View Once Media and Voice Messages: Users can choose View Once each time they want to send a view once photo, video, or voice message. Once sent, these messages cannot be viewed again and are marked with the “one-time” icon. Recipients need to have read receipts turned on to check if a view once message has been opened.
- Privacy Measures: Photos, videos, and voice messages sent using View Once won’t be saved to the recipient’s Photos or Gallery. Additionally, recipients cannot take screenshots of view once media.
Users are advised to only send view once content to individuals they trust, as there are alternative methods for recipients to save the media, such as taking a photo or video with another device.
Receiving View Once Media and Voice Messages:
Recipients must open view once photos, videos, or voice messages within 14 days; otherwise, the content will expire from the chat.
Forwarding, saving, starring, or sharing view once media is not possible. However, media and voice messages can be restored from backups if unopened at the time of the backup.
- Taking a screenshot of view once media is restricted, enhancing the ephemeral nature of the content.