WhatsApp Android, iOS App Could Soon Get Disappearing Media Feature

WhatsApp already has a disappearing messages feature and disappearing photos could extend its use.

Advertisement
By Vineet Washington | Updated: 3 March 2021 18:34 IST
Highlights
  • WhatsApp iPad app could be used to make calls
  • WhatsApp on Android, iOS may get disappearing media feature
  • iPad currently only supports WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp Android, iOS App Could Soon Get Disappearing Media Feature

WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages in November last year

Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

WhatsApp is reportedly working on some new features including disappearing photos for both iOS and Android. The popular instant messaging app owned by Facebook has a feature for disappearing messages, but disappearing photos will extend its use, and is popular on other platforms including Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook. WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo that spotted the disappearing photos feature said that it could be added to the app in a future update. It also shared screenshots that show how the feature would work.

WABetaInfo shared through a tweet that WhatsApp is working on a self-destructing photos feature for iOS and Android. The screenshots in the tweet show a new option next to ‘Add a caption' text box — that appears before you send an attached media file — on the WhatsApp app, clicking on which will make the media disappear once you leave that particular chat. WABetaInfo points out users could be able to take screenshots of the self-destructing photos as a feature to detect them has not been added. WhatsApp's parent company Facebook isn't new to this concept as it already allows users to send a disappearing photo or video on Instagram.

WhatsApp introduced disappearing messages on the platform for Android, iOS, and Linux-based KaiOS devices in November last year. The feature on WhatsApp is also different from how it works on Telegram. While Telegram lets users decide the duration before the messages disappear in a chat, messages sent to a chat on WhatsApp will disappear after seven days. Snapchat, on the other hand, deletes Snaps after they've been opened, deletes unopened Snaps sent to a group chat in 24 hours, and all other unopened Snaps in 30 days. 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article mistakenly cited an older report and contained incorrect information about a WhatsApp for iPad app. This has been corrected to remove the incorrect information.


Is Samsung Galaxy F62 the best phone under Rs. 25,000? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Android, iOS
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Amazon Prime Day Sale: Get Up to 75 Percent Off on Computer Accessories
  2. Amazon Prime Day Sale Highlights: Top Deals on Phones, Laptops and More
  3. Meteorite From Outer Solar System Challenges Planet Formation Timeline in Early Solar System
  1. Meteorite From Outer Solar System Challenges Planet Formation Timeline in Early Solar System
  2. NASA’s Hubble and Webb Discover Bursting Star Formation in Small Magellanic Cloud
  3. New Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Could Reveal Secrets of Distant Worlds
  4. Companion Now Streaming on JioHotstar: What You Need to Know About American Sci-Fi Thriller Movie
  5. Heart Eyes Now Available for Rent on Amazon Prime Video: What You Need to Know
  6. Scientists Recreate Cosmic Ray Physics Using Cold Atom in New Laboratory Study
  7. Scientists Say Dark Matter Could Turn Failed Stars Into ‘Dark Dwarfs’
  8. New Gel-Based Robotic Skin Feels Touch, Heat, and Damage Like Human Flesh
  9. Flipkart GOAT Sale 2025 Begins on July 12 for All Customers Alongside Amazon Prime Day Sale
  10. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Tipped to Get 200-Megapixel Sony Camera Sensor
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.