Updated
Updated · MacRumors · Jun 17
WhatsApp Develops 1-Time Texts for iPhone, Blocking Screenshots and Forwarding
Updated
Updated · MacRumors · Jun 17

WhatsApp Develops 1-Time Texts for iPhone, Blocking Screenshots and Forwarding

3 articles · Updated · MacRumors · Jun 17

Summary

  • WhatsApp is building an iPhone feature that lets recipients open a text message only once before it disappears, extending its existing view-once format beyond photos, videos and voice notes.
  • A long-press on the Send button will surface a “Send as view once” option, and the delivered text cannot be copied, forwarded or shared after it is opened.
  • Screenshot and screen-recording blocks are also planned to stop users from preserving the message, with the feature slated for both one-to-one and group chats but not channels.
  • The tool is still in development and has not rolled out broadly; it follows a recent beta feature that starts disappearing-message countdowns only after a message is read.

Insights

With no screenshot protection, does WhatsApp's 'view-once' text feature offer users a false sense of privacy?
As regulators crack down on data deletion, is WhatsApp's new feature a compliance nightmare for businesses?