WhatsApp now lets you send ephemeral— self destructing — voice messages similar to “view once” photos and videos which have existed on the instant messaging platform since 2021. Needless to say, the feature udaate is meant for sensitive chats, those you might want to delete as soon as read/listened to by the recipient. In a blog post published earlier today, WhatsApp owner Meta announced that view once messages are rolling out globally over the coming days.
When available, sending view once voice notes should be similar to how you’d send a disappearing photo or video.
“For reading out your credit card details to a friend, or when you’re planning a surprise, you can now also share sensitive information over voice message with added peace of mind,” Meta notes in its release note, adding that “For consistency with View Once photos and videos, View Once voice messages are clearly marked with the “one-time” icon and can only be played one time.”
Voice notes on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted much like other chats on the platform. The view once feature is simply an extension to thay offering another layer of security for private chats. Be sure to know that there are other ways to “crack” them. The recipient can record your chat, for instance, and keep them “indefinitely” and so it is always advisable to share your most intimate details with those you trust.
WhatsApp seems to be on a roll when it comes to launching privacy based features on the platform. Only recently, it has announced the “secret code” feature that allows users to hide their locked chats behind a password. Adding to that, it is now also possible to hide your locked chats completely from your chat list. WhatsApp is also making it easier to lock chats by simply long pressing on them from the chat list instead of doing it on per-chat basis individually.
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