WhatsApp is testing a new option for its disappearing messages feature. With the new setting, messages will be automatically deleted not only after a certain period of time, but also after they are read by the recipient. The period of messages deleted when read begins. WhatsApp is working on a new timer that makes the disappearing messages feature more flexible. The new option, seen in WhatsApp beta version 26.19.10.72 released for iOS, ensures that sent messages are automatically deleted after they are read by the recipient.
The feature is currently available to some beta users and will be available to more users in the coming weeks. The new option appears in the default message scheduler section of WhatsApp with the After reading option. In the existing disappearing message settings, users can choose from 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days. In the new structure tested, the timer is activated when the recipient reads the message, not when the message is sent.
In the new system, users can choose one of the options of 5 minutes, 1 hour or 12 hours for the deletion time after reading. When the recipient opens the message, the selected time starts and when the time expires, the message is removed from the chat. However, if the message is not read, WhatsApp deletes this message after 24 hours by default. This structure works differently than the existing disappearing message system.
In today’s system, messages are deleted according to the selected period of time after they are sent. In the new option, it is determined when the recipient reads the message. For example, if a 5-minute period is selected, the message is removed from the other party’s chat 5 minutes after the recipient opens the chat and sees the message. On the sender’s side, the message can be deleted according to the specified time after it is sent.
The feature works optionally. Unless users turn on this setting, there is no change in existing chats. The new timer can be used in specific chats or set as the default setting for all new chats. WhatsApp’s existing disappearing message system can already be enabled by default in individual chats or all new chats. The new delete after read option is active for some TestFlight users in the iOS beta version. According to WABetaInfo, a limited number of users can also test this feature through the current version in the App Store.
The fact that the feature is also seen on the Android beta side shows that WhatsApp is not limiting this innovation only to iOS. WhatsApp has been using disappearing messages for both privacy and storage management for a long time. In the available options, messages can be automatically deleted after 24 hours, 7 days or 90 days. The new after-read option adds a more precise control area, especially for correspondence that is intended to be seen for a short time.
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