WhatsApp disappearing messages: Now users can set all chats to disappear by default

New Delhi: WhatsApp on Monday announced that its users will now have the option to turn on disappearing messages by default for all new chats.

Meta-owned platform said that it is adding two new durations for disappearing messages: 24 hours and 90 days, as well as the existing option of 7 days.

“When enabled, all new one-on-one chats you or another person start will be set to disappear at your chosen duration, and we’ve added a new option when creating a group chat that lets you turn it on for groups you create,” WhatsApp said in a statement.

This new feature is optional and does not change or delete any of your existing chats, the company added.

WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages last year, and recently introduced a way for photos and videos to immediately disappear after being viewed once.

“For people who choose to switch on default disappearing messages, we will display a message in your chats that tells people this is the default you’ve chosen,” the company noted.

If a user needs a particular conversation to remain permanent, it’s also easy to switch a chat back.

“We believe disappearing messages along with end-to-end encryption are two crucial features that define what it means to be a private messaging service today and bring us one step closer to the feeling of an in-personal conversation,” said WhatsApp.

Find out when this disappearing message will work and when not

If a user doesn’t open WhatsApp within the set duration

If you don’t open WhatsApp in the 24 hour, 7 day, or 90 day period  after receiving a disappearing message then it will disappear from the chat. However, you may still see the preview of the message in notifications until WhatsApp is opened.

When a users replies to WhatsApp message where the initial message is quoted

The disappearing message feature won’t work on a text if a user replies to a disappearing message with another message. That means the quoted text might remain in the chat even after the duration selected is over.

If a disappearing message is forwarded to a chat with disappearing messages off

The disappearing message won’t work if another user forwards the disappearing message to a chat with disappearing messages off, the message won’t disappear in the forwarded chat.

If a user creates a backup before a message gets deleted

The feature will also not work in case a user creates a backup before a message disappears. The message will apprear in the backup. But, it will get deleted when the sisappearing messages restores from a backup.

Screenshot or photo of the message is taken before it is deleted

You can also store a disappearing message by taking a screen shot or a photo before it disappears. You can also copy the text of the disappearing message.

Also Read: Whatsapp iOS features: Five useful WhatsApp features that are available only on iPhones