WhatsApp Introduces Disappearing Voice Messages for Extra Privacy
Ever since phones, we've moved on to text messaging, and now we've practically quit talking on phones. However, there's a missing piece: lengthy phone calls and text messages with limited character limits don't serve the purpose of spontaneous chats. Hence, voice messaging was born - an easy way to exchange thoughts without engaging in lengthy calls or tirelessly tapping on a touchscreen.
But sometimes, you don't want to permanently store your voice notes. Perhaps you've found errors in a memo and don't want it to linger after you've listened to it, or maybe you have juicy gossip you'd love to share without worrying about evidence lingering. In such cases, the "View Once" feature often comes in handy - allowing you to send texts, photos, and videos that disappear once viewed. Yet, for voice messages, this feature hasn't been available ... until now.
WhatsApp has finally allowed the "View Once" feature for voice messages! But be aware, this is NOT how it's named. It would be named "Listen Once," but they stuck with "View Once" nonetheless. So if you press send on a voice message meant to disappear after being listened to, it will simply be rejected - just like before.
But WhatsApp has changed its game!
WhatsApp began testing this feature about two months ago. If you use the Beta version of the app, you might have already experienced this feature. To send a disappearing voice message, follow these steps:
- After updating the app, open the chat room where you'd like to send the voice message.
- Press and hold the microphone button to start the recording, and move it up to place it in speak mode.
- Tap the "1" icon to enable the "View Once" feature for your voice message.
Once you've sent this type of voice message, you can no longer replay it. Make sure to review it thoroughly before activating the "View Once" feature. Similarly, the message vanishes after other users listen to it or ignore it.
Added Privacy for Your Sharing Needs
WhatsApp's introduction of this feature marks a major step towards enhancing user privacy, particularly useful for sharing sensitive or temporary information without leaving a digital footprint. However, recent bugs in this feature highlight the need for constant updates and fixes to ensure the security and privacy of your message[1][2].
Source:
Enrichment Data:
WhatsApp integrates the "View Once" feature for voice messages by allowing users to enable the feature before sending. Here are the steps:
- Enabling the Feature: To send a disappearing voice message, the sender must enable the "View Once" feature. This is usually done by tapping the "1" icon before sending the voice message[1].
- Sending the Message: Once the "View Once" feature is enabled, the sender can record and send the voice message. The recipient can only listen to the voice message once before it disappears from the chat[1].
- Recipient’s Experience: The recipient can only listen to the voice message once. After playing it, the message will disappear from their chat history, ensuring that the sender's intended privacy is maintained[1].
This new feature is part of WhatsApp's broader commitment to enhancing user privacy but also raises concerns about security and privacy bugs, requiring consistent updates and fixes[1][2].
