WhatsApp has launched its highly anticipated “View Once” feature that allows you to send photos or videos that instantly disappear after being opened by the intended recipient. Like Snapchat, the pioneer of this popular short-lived messaging, photos and videos disappear as soon as they are opened.
You can tell that a self-destructive message has been sent to you before you open it, giving you plenty of time to prepare and make sure you are listening to what is happening on the screen. WhatsApp assumes that users will take advantage of the new feature to send temporary information like WiFi passwords. However, it’s also a handy addition for those who don’t want friends and family to keep every single vacation photo, shot of a new outfit, meme, or GIF you’ve ever sent them.
WhatsApp doesn’t save the photos and videos on your phone, even though it usually does when you get one of these messages.
However, a well-known security expert has reported a potential problem with the system that is cause for concern. Aaron Drapkin, ProPrivacy’s digital privacy expert, told Express.co.uk, “WhatsApp’s new” Watch Once “feature is a well-intentioned idea that is clearly designed to reduce the durability of images you post Sending your contacts, and in turn, gives you more privacy and control over your sent items. Unfortunately, it was poorly executed.
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“As with most social media apps trying to innovate these kinds of changes, very few consider the iconic screenshot feature on an iPhone. Some apps like Snapchat will notify you when you have a screenshot of something you’ve been sent, but WhatsApp’s “View Once” feature won’t let you know if your picture was screenshot.
“The technology is there – it is not possible, for example, to take a screenshot of a program in the Netflix app – and we can only hope that this will be implemented as soon as possible, otherwise the supposedly privacy-first app will weigh you down User in a false sense of security “.”
To send any of these messages, you’ll need to upload a picture or photo as usual. In the lower right corner, however, there is a “1” button next to the send button. Tapping on it will activate the feature and ensure that your picture won’t get stuck after viewing it.
However, WhatsApp has warned users that there is nothing built into the feature to prevent the recipient from taking a screenshot.
The arrival of “View Once” is not entirely unexpected. Back in June, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that the feature would be introduced, although details on how it works are still few and far between. According to WaBetaInfo, which crawls the code of beta versions of WhatsApp to uncover new features and unfinished updates, it was claimed that “View Once” was tested for about a month before it was rolled out globally.
To get access to the latest feature, go to the App Store and Play Store to download the latest version of WhatsApp.
