WhatsApp just released a feature that will allow users to save disappearing messages even after they have expired. The feature which is called keep in chat is being billed as a special superpower for the sender because the final say if you – the receiver— can keep a disappearing chat would still lie with them, ultimately. The update rollout was announced by Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg earlier today through a post on Facebook. WhatsApp is also going live with a blog post outlining more details simultaneously.
WhatsApp keep in chat feature: How to use, everything to know
WhatsApp’s keep in chat feature seems pretty straightforward on first look. If you want to keep any ephemeral chat from disappearing forever, you can now long press on it and the sender will be notified about your request. Now, it is up to them to decide if they want you to keep the chat or veto the decision.
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“If you’ve decided your message can’t be kept by others, your decision is final, no one else can keep it and the message will be deleted when the timer expires,” WhatsApp writes in the blog post, adding that “this way you have the final say on how messages you send are protected.”
If the sender gives a go-ahead, you’re free to keep the disappearing message for later in which case they will be highlighted with a bookmark icon and appear separately inside the “Kept Messages” folder organised by chat.
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Disappearing messages are essentially messages that users can choose to send to someone with a pre-set timer beyond which they get deleted automatically. Launched in 2021, the feature takes inspiration from apps like Snapchat giving users a way to chat more privately. The instant messaging app also lets users delete messages after sending to someone.
WhatsApp says keep in chat will roll out globally over the next few weeks.
